Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Phillip Shaibu, reportedly resumed hostilities on Monday, with the governor allegedly preventing the deputy from accessing his office by locking him out.
Multiple sources within the government house have confirmed that the Deputy Governor attempted to force his way into the personal office of the Governor, accompanied by his security aides. The Deputy Governor was reported to have arrived at the Office of the Governor on Dennis Osadebey Avenue early Monday, seeking to confront the governor.
He was, however, told that the governor was not yet in the office, but he insisted on gaining access to the Governor’s personal office.
“All entreaties by the security operatives to him to kindly go back and call the governor if he wanted to see his principal were rebuffed. Instead, he kept pushing the gate, causing a scene. Observers are worried that he may physically attack the governor,” a source said.
Another source explained that the gate to the office of the Deputy Governor and the main entrance leading to the storey building was locked with chains and heavy padlocks.
“Shaibu and his aides waited for about an hour and left. He was said to have made frantic calls trying to reach the Governor but to no avail,” the source added.
All Nigeria Latest News gathered that Shaibu had some discussions with the state Commissioner of Police and the State Director of the Department of State Services, DSS, alerting them to his plight.
The Deputy governor was said to have summoned the Government House Camp Commandant, Ibrahim Babatunde, and asked him why he was locked out of his office.
Babatunde, reportedly citing a directive from higher authorities, indicated that the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the Government House, Williams Wabba, would be better positioned to provide an explanation. However, when the Deputy Governor called Wabba, he assured that he would come but did not appear until after the deputy governor had departed.