Personnel from various Nigerian security agencies, including the police, Department of State Services (DSS), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), have surrounded the Edo State Government House.
This heightened security presence comes following reports that the Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, planned to resume office on Monday, September 30, 2024. The deployment also included Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to maintain order.
Security officers at the Government House’s first gate restricted vehicular access, asking staff, journalists, and visitors to leave their vehicles behind and proceed on foot.
Amid this, the Deputy Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebomhiana Musa, refuted claims that Shaibu intended to invade the Government House, insisting that the Deputy Governor remains committed to the rule of law. He urged Governor Godwin Obaseki to comply with court orders that reinstated Shaibu as Edo State’s Deputy Governor.
In a statement, Musa affirmed that Shaibu, known for his peaceful demeanor, respects the law and does not wish to incite violence. He emphasized that Shaibu holds the position of Deputy Governor both legally and in the eyes of the people of Edo State, adding that there was no need for conflict over his reinstatement.
Musa also criticized Governor Obaseki’s media aide, Crusoe Osagie, calling him an alarmist and dismissing the rumors surrounding Shaibu’s return as false. This incident comes shortly after the governorship election on September 21, 2024, where Obaseki’s preferred candidate, Asue Ighodalo, was reportedly defeated.
