Shaibu Attempted To Embarrass Obaseki And Disrupt Event – Edo Govt

The Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Osa Nehikhare, has made clarification on the dramatic exit of the Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, from the venue for the 60th anniversary of the Midwest referendum organized by the state government.

Naija News earlier reported that the media team and security aides of the deputy governor were blocked from gaining entrance into the venue of the event.

Shaibu, however, left the venue of the ceremony angrily after arguments with security operatives who barred his media team and security details.

In an interview with Arise TV on Tuesday, Nehikhare said Shaibu had attempted to disgrace Governor Obaseki and disrupt the event, but it backfired.

The commission said Shaibu came with his unaccredited media team, whereas the media aide to the government house was at the event.

However, Shaibu insisted that his media team must be allowed to cover the event.

He said, “The deputy governor has taken the governor to court, over an alleged impeachment plot against him, an allegation we all know is not right. Anywhere you go around the world, there are consequences for such actions, and the Edo state government is not happy with the turnout of the event. But we have not done anything to reduce the office of the deputy governor.

“We have worked with him and continue to give him all the due respect, that his office demands, but yesterday, during the colloquium, a very important event where we had a governor, at least two former governors of Edo state, senators and all very important personalities were all there and the deputy governor which to me was unnecessary, came into an event sat down, hugged everybody and had a good laugh with all the other guests that were at the event.

“Only for a few minutes later, because it was a government event and there was an accreditation going on and our people needed to accredit those that claimed they were media aides to the deputy governor.

“We told them we don’t have two governments, and there are already media aides of the state government house, so they would cover the event successfully as we would always do; we asked the media aide to leave and not come in. At some point, one of them picked up his phone and called the deputy governor that they had been refused entry.

“The deputy governor came and was dishing out instructions that they must be allowed in, but we explained to him that everyone cannot come in with their media crew and he should allow the state government media crew to do it.

“From retrospect, we now know that it was planned that they wanted to disrupt and attempt to embarrass the governor, but then the only person embraced was the deputy governor. Everyone is asking why the deputy governor will be coming to an event with his own team, different from a team of the state government.”