A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State and former Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Samson Osagie, has stated that the rift between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Shaibu Philips is karma for betraying the ex-governor, Adams Oshiomhole.
Osagie made the claim in an interview with PUNCH, stating that the crisis between the two first citizens in Edo state is not unexpected.
He said that Obaseki and Shaibu were driven by selfish ambition, arrogance and unbridled power-mongering, which is why they betrayed Oshiomhole and assumed things would go well with them.
In his words , “You may call it drama; I will call it karma. As far as I’m concerned, what is happening between the first two citizens of Edo State is not unexpected. I expect they would come to this level of launching a war against one another because they were men driven by selfish ambition, arrogance and unbridled power-mongering. I knew from day one that their team would not have it smooth.
“Look at what they did to the former governor (Oshiomhole); if they could do all that to their predecessor, why are you expecting that things will be well with them? They must fight each other because they are both driven by ambition and unbridled power-mongering.
“When people occupy public offices and take power to a level that makes them disloyal and lack humility, they are bound to run into this type of crisis. So, it’s karma at play, because there is no scintilla of evidence to show that these people appreciate what the power the Edo people gave them is meant for. You call it drama, but I call it karma.”
Speaking on the speculation that Shaibu’s rift with Obaseki is due to his governorship ambition, Osagie said there is no law that stops a deputy governor from aspiring to become a governor.
He said, “The question to ask is that, is there any law prohibiting a deputy governor from aspiring to be a governor? The answer is no. Are there deputy governors that have become governors? The answer is yes. Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, now the National Chairman of the APC, was a deputy to Engr Rabiu Kwankwaso but later became the governor of Kano State.
“The current governor of Sokoto State (Ahmad Aliyu) was a deputy to former Governor Aminu Tambuwal. So, it is not a crime against the law. There is no moral or legal inhibition against any person who has been deputy governor from aspiring to be a governor. If anything, a sitting deputy governor is closer to becoming a governor than anybody else. So, it is within his rights to aspire to be governor. But whether the political permutations in the state or within the political party would permit him is a different kettle of fish entirely.”