In what looks like the endorsement of the impeachment of Philip Shaibu, the former deputy governor of Edo by the State House of Assembly, members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Etsako West Local Government Area of the state have staged a peaceful protest against the alleged planned defection of the impeached deputy governor to the party.
The Edo State House of Assembly in its plenary on Monday impeached the deputy governor, who is from Etsako West LGA.
The impeachment was sequel to the adoption of a report by the seven-man panel set up by the chief judge of the state, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, to investigate impeachment petitions on misconduct and perjury levelled against the former deputy governor by the House.
The panel in its report found the former deputy governor guilty of the allegation of divulging state secret to the public while that of perjury was not proved beyond reasonable doubt by the complainant.
DAILY POST reports that members of APC across the 12 wards in the local government on Tuesday marched to the party secretariat in the locality with various placards to submit a petition against the alleged Shaibu’s readmission into the party.
The protesters, under the aegis of APC stakeholders in the locality, noted that the exit of the impeached deputy governor from APC in 2020 brought peace and tranquillity to party
The spokesperson of the group, Mr Yakubu Musa said the protest was against an attempt by the embattled Shaibu to defect to APC.
Musa added that the readmission of the former deputy governor into the party would further polarise the party,
“It is on record that Philip Shaibu has not won any election since he dumped APC for PDP. He does not possess any electoral value that could warrant his readmission into our great party.
“Any attempt to readmit Shaibu into APC is an invitation to crisis, fragmentation, disaffection, and disintegration in the party,” he alleged.
He, however, appealed to the national chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje, Senator Adams Oshiomhole and the state acting Chairman, Jaret Tenebe, to foreclose any attempt by Shaibu to to return to the party .
Responding, Musa Ebomhiana, chief press secretary to Philip Shaibu, said the protest was sponsored by some people to embarrass him.
“It was part of the grand plan designed by some individual to embarrass Shaibu and it can’t deter him from wherever he is going, and no body owns the party.”
He said the party is owned by all Nigerians and that nobody can prevent anyone from joining any political party, noting that “the more, the merrier.”