Impeached Deputy Governor of Edo State, Mr Philip Shaibu, has said his removal by the Edo State House of Assembly would not stand the test of time, adding that the whole exercise was because of the September 21 governorship election in the state.
In a viral video released, yesterday, Shaibu stated this when he received the acting Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Emperor Jaret Tenebe, in his Abuja residence. Tenebe, who said he was on a solidarity visit, described the impeachment as a sham and urged Shaibu to use all legal means to upturn the action.
This position was barely 24 hours after some APC faithful in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo protested against a planned return of Shaibu to the APC.
Shaibu said: “We have shared a lot of things both good and bad together. I am deeply humbled and happy that even this situation has brought us together as one that we are. You are one person that I have always admired, someone that I grew up with.
“The person that separated us has also united us and that is the beauty of what has happened. I want to assure you that as we move on, just like you said, this whole thing happened between lent and Ramadan and the lessons of Lent and Ramadan are obvious. I am not ready to change my attitude, I am ready to be a friend and loyal friend and partner.
“What has happened will not change my quest to be loyal to anybody that I will work with and I will encourage anybody to be loyal to their boss. I was a loyal person and I am still loyal, the price of loyalty is success and the impeachment that has happened is because God wants to open a new chapter and I see that new chapter, the new opportunity.
“I can assure you, my chairman, I call you my chairman because you are already my chairman and I think you are also one of the reasons they hurriedly did what they did because they know what it takes for you and me to be together and they thought they could use impeachment to get me to succumb but you know that I won’t succumb.
“I am somebody that is strong-willed and when I mean something, I mean it and when I look at the whole thing, I am paying the price, I also believe that it is only the man that God impeaches that is impeached. `
“By the grace of God, I know the judiciary will do the needful because it is an impeachment that I have not been served. So, I want to assure you that my cooperation and my loyalty will remain my weapon and I will definitely be there at all times. Our next target is September 21 and by the grace of God we will get there.”