The Peoples Democratic Party has called on Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and his Deputy, Philip Shaibu, to give peace a chance.
The party expressed shock at how official letters of the state government, which should be confidential, were now viral across the social media.
The PUNCH reported that the PDP National Vice Chairman (South) and former chairman of the party in Edo State, Chief Dan Orbih, made the intervention in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday night titled, ‘Do not de-market PDP in Edo State.’
The statement is in reaction to the face-off between Obaseki and Shuaibu which appears to have defied settlement.
The conflict reportedly began after Shaibu went to a Federal High Court in Abuja to stop an allegedly planned impeachment by Obaseki, although, following recent interventions, he has withdrawn the case.
Also, Obaseki recently relocated his deputy’s office to a location outside the government house. This became viral on the Internet on Monday as Shaibu was barred from entering his office in the Government House, with video and picture evidence.
An official letter of his relocation surfaced on the social media the following day. The letter, dated September 15, 2023, was received by a Permanent Secretary in the office of the deputy governor, and acknowledged on Monday, September 18, 2023.
Orbih advised that Obaseki and his Deputy should bury the hatchet and allow peace to reign for the sake of the governorship scheduled for next year.
He said, “I have observed with trepidation, the frosty relations between the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki and his Deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu and I am constrained to call on both parties to exercise restraint in what to say or do in the course of this ongoing needless and endless crisis.
“To my surprise, official letters, which should be confidential, are now dominating the social media space. I urge both parties to stop further hostilities and resolve their differences quietly in the interest of good governance and progress of the state. Anything less may affect the image and fortunes of the Party in the coming Guber election.
“Yes, we have had issues in the past between party and government, but we haven’t allowed them to be subject to newspaper editorials.
“The PDP is a strong brand in Edo State – a brand that has been nurtured over the years by the commitment of leaders and dedicated members of the party. This brand is now under serious threat by the current raging battle between the Governor and Deputy-Governor.
“I therefore seize this opportunity to call on both parties to ‘cease fire’ and resolve their differences amicably. God bless PDP. God bless Edo State.”
