Impeachment Notice: I have no hand in Obaseki’s renewed plot against Shaibu – Oshiomhole

Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and immediate past governor of Edo State, Senator Adams Oshiomhole has vehemently denied being part of a renewed plot hatched by Governor Godwin Obaseki to impeach his deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu.

Citing perjury and disclosure of government secrets at today’s plenary, Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Charity Aiguobarueghian had announced the impeachment notice against Comrade Shaibu.

Governor Obaseki and Comrade Shaibu, both erstwhile proteges of Comrade Oshiomhole fell out with their mentor over sundry issues, during the run up to the 2020 governorship election and defected to the rival People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Presently, the amity between Governor Obaseki and Comrade Shaibu has turned to enmity following the refusal of the former to support his governorship ambition in the September 21, 2024 election instead of industrialist, Dr. Asue Ighodalo.

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In a statement by his Senior Legislative, Mr. Victor Oshioke Wednesday in Abuja and made available to journalists in Benin, Senator Oshiomhole said he would neither have been concerned nor bothered by what methods the dramatis personae, in the unending factional feud within Edo State PDP, employed to settle scores among themselves, but for a story on social media, which unceremoniously linked him to a purported plan by Obaseki to call on lawmakers of Edo State House of Assembly lawmakers to begin impeachment proceedings against Shaibu.

With a minimum of 16 members needed for a legal impeachment, a breakdown of the 24 member House currently shows that the PDP has 13 members followed by APC with 10 and Labour Party (LP), one.

Perturbed by the threat of impeachment orchestrated by Governor Obaseki, Comrade Shaibu had last August rushed to an Abuja Federal High Court to restrain the governor and the House of Assembly from impeaching him, an allegation which the however governor denied.

The APC number one leader in Edo State said that he was compelled to clarify and set the record straight because in the said story, it was falsely claimed by the reporter that the “governor (Obaseki) have(sic) already gotten across to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to help him lobby and talk to the APC lawmakers in the House to support the impeachment move against Comrade Philip Shaibu since he and the deputy governor are not in good terms with the Edo North Senator.”

He continued: “We wish to categorically state that Senator Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole has not, at any time, engaged in discussions with Governor Godwin Obaseki regarding plans to impeach his deputy. Let it be put on record that Senator Oshiomhole, as the apex leader of the APC in Edo State, is solely focused on fostering goodwill between the people of Edo State and the APC, with the goal of winning the upcoming governorship election and returning the state to a path of progress under an APC government.

The spokesman said that matters of impeachment are the sole responsibilities of the Edo State House of Assembly and the Edo State Judiciary. adding that political parties have no constitutional role to play in any impeachment process.

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He said that the notion that Senator Oshiomhole can influence the actions of APC lawmakers, should there be any impeachment exercise in the Edo State House of Assembly is simply preposterous.

Oshioke insisted: “Senator Oshiomhole has not and will not engage in any deals with Governor Obaseki on this or any other political issue. Lastly, we urge all Edo people to approach articles of this nature with skepticism if the authors fail to take credit for their allegations.

“As we begin the process leading to the September 2024 governorship election in our beloved state, let us all strive for truthful and responsible discourse in our political environment.”