Shaibu: I fought impeachment to protect office of deputy governor

The reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo State, Mr. Philip Shaibu, has said that his fight against his impeachment was to protect the office of the deputy governor in Nigeria.

Mr. Shaibu made the remarks following court reinstatement, yesterday after his impeachment on April 8, 2024.

Shaibu said that the office of the deputy governor has been ridiculed by some governors since 1999.

He credited his court-ordered reinstatement to “act of God” while speaking at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Benin City.

“The governor (of Edo State) said he will destroy me and that is why I decided that the office of the deputy governor of Edo State…

“I will fight to make sure that sanity and respect is brought back to that office,” Shaibu stated.

“All what I am doing is not to earn anything but to make sure that the sanity of the office of the deputy governor is restored in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“What other deputies cannot fight, I will fight on their behalf, so that governors will start respecting that office.”

The deputy governor sings

According to reports, upon his victory in the court, Shaibu declared:

“I challenged God, and I told Him that I want Him to prove His power in my life.

“That people that are anti-God and anti-democracy are at it again and they want to use me as scapegoat.

“I told God to show to the world that I am truly your son.

“They said they will impeach me and I will go to court and that by the time judgment will come, the tenure would have been over.

“I now challenged God to it, to prove to them that they have touched His anointed and that the judgment will come faster than expected.

“I said I will need the judgment to come before the election.

“By the grace of God, democracy has come to stay, and we that fought for democracy will protect it.

“Anti-democratic forces must be flushed out, and by the grace of God we will succeed.”

Shaibu urged youths to vote in the upcoming election to remove “anti-democratic people” and avoid being used for violence.

“This election is the time to change anti-democratic forces and you must do it through the ballot, don’t engage in violence.

“I have been preaching this for the past year when the intimidation and harassment against me started.”

More about Philip Shaibu

Philip Shaibu is a Nigerian accountant and politician who served as the deputy governor of Edo State from 2016 until his impeachment in 2024.

He was reinstated by the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, 17 July 2024.

Here are some key points about him:

Early Life and Education

Born on December 1, 1969, in Kaduna, he was raised in a Christian family.

He attended St. Augustine Primary School and later Sardauna Memorial Secondary School in Kaduna.

Shaibu holds a Bachelor of Science degree (Honours) in Accounting from the University of Jos, Plateau State.

He also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Benin, Edo State..

Political Career

Shaibu entered politics in 2003 when he contested elections for the Edo State House of Assembly under the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) but lost.

In 2007, he won the election to represent Etsako West Constituency in the Edo State House of Assembly under the Action Congress (AC).

He also served as a member of the Federal House of Representatives representing Etsako from 2015 to 2016.

Family Life

Shaibu is married to Mrs. Maryann Philip-Shaibu and has children.

Despite the controversies surrounding his impeachment, Shaibu remains a prominent figure in Edo State politics.

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