Philip Shaibu Defects Back to APC Amidst Tensions with Governor Obaseki

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Reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and rejoined the All Progressives Congress (APC). Shaibu’s defection was announced during the APC Edo State inauguration of the National Working Committee for the Edo governorship election, held on Saturday, July 20.

During the event, the 54-year-old Shaibu publicly declared his decision to return to the APC, where he was formally welcomed by the party’s National Organising Secretary.

This move follows a series of contentious developments between Shaibu and Governor Godwin Obaseki. On Friday, July 19, Shaibu accused Obaseki of obstructing his return to Edo State. In an interview on Channels Television’s "Politics Today," Shaibu claimed that he had received intelligence indicating that Obaseki had instructed his associates to prevent Shaibu from entering the state.

“I am a free-born of Edo State, nobody can stop me from entering Edo State,” Shaibu asserted during the interview. “The constitution does not allow anybody to bar me from entering Edo State, not even when I am a deputy governor. Even if I am an ordinary citizen, I should have a right. I should have freedom.”

Shaibu’s allegations extend beyond access issues. He claimed that Obaseki had threatened to sabotage his governorship ambitions within the PDP, stating that the governor vowed to destroy him if he pursued the governorship ticket. 

Additionally, Shaibu accused Obaseki of orchestrating an attack on his convoy on Thursday, July 18, in Benin City, which resulted in the death of a police officer. He alleged that this attack was a manifestation of Obaseki’s earlier threats.

The situation has escalated tensions in Edo State’s political landscape, as Shaibu’s return to the APC marks a significant shift in the state's political dynamics.