Philip Shaibu Exits PDP, Rejoins APC

Philip Shaibu Exits PDP, Rejoins APC

Reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and rejoined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Shaibu announced his defection during the APC Edo State inauguration of the National Working Committee for the Edo governorship election on Saturday, July 20. At the event, the 54-year-old formally declared his intention to join the APC and was welcomed into the party by the National Organising Secretary.

This move follows Shaibu’s allegations on Friday, July 19, that his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki, had barred him from entering the state. Shaibu made these claims during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, just two days after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered his reinstatement as deputy governor.

Shaibu stated, “Yesterday, I received information that the governor instructed his aides to prevent me from entering the town. As a native of Edo State, no one can stop me from coming back. The constitution guarantees my right to enter Edo State, regardless of my position. Even as a private citizen, I am entitled to this freedom.”

Additionally, Shaibu claimed that when he expressed his intention to run for the governorship ticket under the PDP in November 2023, Obaseki threatened to destroy him. Shaibu also accused Obaseki of orchestrating an attack on his convoy on Thursday, July 18, which resulted in the death of a police officer in Benin City, suggesting that the attack was part of Obaseki’s earlier threats against him.