Edo State’s deputy governor Philip Shaibu follows Obaseki and resigns from APC

EDO State deputy governor Philip Shaibu has joined his boss Godwin Obaseki and resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in response to the ongoing saga wrecking the party in the run-up to September’s gubernatorial elections.

In what has been a tumultuous week for the APC, Governor Obaseki resigned from the party after his application to stand for a second term as the party’s gubernatorial elections due in September was rejected. He and party chairman Adams Oshiomhole have been involved in a bitter spat over recent years, resulting in the party’s screening committee rejecting his application, saying his academic credentials were not in order.

Subsequently, Governor Obaseki resigned from the party and has obtained a membership card of the main opposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He is now expected to stand as the PDP candidate in the September elections against the APC, who are due to nominate their own governorship candidate on June 22.

Following the lead of his boss, Mr Shaibu has also left the party, although it is not yet clear if he will be Governor Obaseki’s running mate in the September polls. There had been some suggestions that the Edo State chapter of the PDP would want to nominate one of its own members as the deputy governor if Governor Obaseki got the party ticket to stand.

In his resignation letter, Mr Shaibu said: “I write pursuant to Article 9.5 (i) of the Constitution of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to formally resign my membership and to inform you of my formal withdrawal from all or any of its proceedings and processes whatsoever. Please note that this resignation takes immediate effect.”

His letter was addressed to the ward chairman of APC Ward 11, Etsako West Local Government Area. Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission has slated September 19 for the governorship poll in Edo State.