Successor crisis of confidence between the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and his deputy, Philip Shaibu took a new twist on Monday following the decision of the governor to lock out his estranged deputy from entering his new office.
Shaibu who is planning to succeed his boss after two tenure of eight years got the shock of the moment when he got to his office Monday and found that the gate to the office of the deputy governor and the main entrance leading to the story building was locked with chains and heavy padlocks.
Just two weeks ago Gov Obaseki relocated the Deputy Governor’s office from the Government House Benin to a distance location, though both men claimed to have shedded their swords over the ranging battle who succeeded Obaseki.
While the Deputy Governor and his aides waited for about an hour before leaving, Shaibu, during the period reportedly made frantic efforts to reach the governor but to no avail.
An aide to the deputy governor who made the pictures available to the public under anonymity disclosed that his principal had some discussions with the Commissioner of Police and the Director, State Services, alerting them of how he was locked out from his office.
According to him, there was no official communication to the effect that the deputy governor’s office had been locked.
Shaibu was consequently said to have summoned the Camp Commandant at the Government House, SP Ibrahim Babatunde, querying why he was locked out of his office.
“He said it was a directive from above adding that the CSO in government house, Wabba will be in a better position to explain”, the aide said.
Shaibu was said to have put calls to Wabba Williams who promised to come to the scene, but never came all through the period Shaibu waited.