By Abimbola Ogunnaike
This indeed not the best of times for the embattled and impeached Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu as members of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Etsako West Chapter in Delta State, on Tuesday, 9 April, 2024, protested over his alleged planned return to the party.
The protesters, who came from the 12 wards in the council area, marched to the party secretariat to submit their petition against the move, saying welcoming him back will bring rancour, disharmony, and unprecedented crisis into APC.
Presenting a communique on behalf of the APC stakeholders in Etsako West LGA, Yakubu Musa said Shaibu’s exit from the APC in 2020 brought peace and tranquillity to the party, noting that the former Deputy Governor’s return would bring rancour and disunity to the party.
“We are protesting over an attempt by the impeached deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, to jump the boat and defect to the APC.
“The attempt is viewed seriously by members of APC as a calculated plan by Shaibu to bring rancour, disharmony, and unprecedented crisis into APC,” Musa said.
Musa appealed to the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje, Senator Adams Oshiomhole and the state acting Chairman of the party, Jaret Tenebe, not to allow the impeached deputy governor into APC, saying that Shaibu has no political value to add to the APC.
He added, “It is on record that Philip Shaibu has not won any election since he left APC for the PDP. He does not possess any electoral value that could warrant his readmittance into our great party.
“We call on our national leaders to hear our voice and help us keep the peace we currently enjoy in Edo APC.
“Any attempt to readmit Shaibu into APC is a direct invitation to crisis, fragmentation, dis-affection, disenchantment, and disintegration”
