Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State have staged a peaceful protest against the alleged planned defection of the impeached deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, to the party.
The protest, which took place on Tuesday, appeared to endorse the impeachment of Shaibu by the Edo State House of Assembly.
The impeachment followed the adoption of a report by a seven-man panel set up by the chief judge of the state, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, to investigate impeachment petitions on misconduct and perjury against the former deputy governor.
According to the panel’s report, Shaibu was found guilty of divulging state secrets to the public, while the allegation of perjury was not proven beyond reasonable doubt by the complainant.
Members of the APC across the 12 wards in the local government marched to the party secretariat with various placards to submit a petition against Shaibu’s alleged readmission into the party.
The protesters, under the aegis of APC stakeholders in the locality, stated that Shaibu’s exit from APC in 2020 brought peace and tranquility to the party.
Mr. Yakubu Musa, the spokesperson of the group, expressed concerns that Shaibu’s readmission into the party would further polarize it, stating, “Any attempt to readmit Shaibu into APC is an invitation to crisis, fragmentation, disaffection, and disintegration in the party.”
He appealed to the national chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, and the state acting Chairman, Jaret Tenebe, to prevent Shaibu from returning to the party.
In response, Musa Ebomhiana, the chief press secretary to Philip Shaibu, dismissed the protest as a plan to embarrass Shaibu, stating, “It was part of the grand plan designed by some individuals to embarrass Shaibu and it can’t deter him from wherever he is going.”
He emphasized that the party is owned by all Nigerians, and no one can prevent anyone from joining any political party.
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