The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rt. Hon Philip Shaibu has refuted circulating claims suggesting his intention to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Recent reports indicated Shaibu’s imminent move to the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with one even suggesting a top APC member’s confirmation of the deputy governor’s induction by the APC National Working Committee (NWC) next week.
However, Shaibu’s Chief Press Secretary, Musa Ebomhiana, dismissed these reports, labelling the propagators as “hack writers and mischief makers” with an aim to disrupt state stability.
He said, “They will stop at nothing to widen the gulf between Mr Governor, His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki and his Deputy, Rt Hon Comrade Philip Shaibu. They have generated more lies from the pit of hell, saying that Rt Hon Comrade Philip Shaibu has perfected plans to rejoin the All-Progressives Congress, APC next week. There is no iota of truth in this.
“To further put a lie to this, the spin doctors claimed that the APC National Working Committee, NWC is set to receive him in Abuja. The question here for the discerning minds is that is it the NWC of a party that receives a decamped into the party. Shaibu has never minced words, vowing to sink and swim with his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki. This, he has said severally at public fora. In view of this, I plead with these characters bent on driving a wedge between Comrade Philip Shaibu and his boss, Governor Godwin Obaseki to put the Edo project and the people far above their own selfish interest.”
Musa debunked the statement credited to Shiabu where he was said to have given reasons why he had not discussed the rift between him and his boss with anyone.
Musa said the story, “is nothing but the imagination of the supposed hack writers and mischief makers. I wish to place on record that the Deputy Governor, Rt Hon Comrade Philip Shaibu has been on annual vacation, he has not granted any interview and he has not authorized anybody to speak for him to either online or any traditional news medium.”
According to him, “I’m able to speak for myself, I have not authorized anybody to speak for me and I have not granted any press interviews. The statement credited to me is fake.
“In view of this, I wish to admonish discerning members of the public to be wary of mischief makers, especially at this time.”