By DADA AYOKHAI
The political journey of Hon. Philip Shaibu and Hon. Kabiru Adjoto has been quite remarkable.
Once sworn enemies, they have now joined the opposition APC after a series of twists and turns. Their presence at the inauguration of the Edo APC Campaign Council in Benin, the Edo State capital, drew significant attention.
Their decision to defect from the ruling PDP in the state to the APC has injected new hope into the APC’s prospects for the upcoming September governorship election.
Both men claimed to wield substantial influence in the Edo North district, and their entry into the APC ranks represents a potentially significant shift in the district’s political dynamics.
The two men are known for their ambitious and assertive nature in seeking power and influence.
They previously represented their respective constituencies in the Edo State House of Assembly as members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the forerunner of the APC with Rt hon Zakawanu Garuba as Speaker of the house.
The duo had a tumultuous relationship with the late Rt Hon Zakawanu Garuba but later played a key role behind his impeachment in a violence manner .
After their tenure at the house of Assembly, Shaibu managed to secure the position of the deputy governor, while Adjoto, twice faced setback in his attempt to represent the Akoko Edo Federal constituency in the House of Representatives.
Later, following a political shift, they aligned themselves with Obaseki in the fight with Oshiomole.
A significant turning point occurred when a political dispute arose between Shaibu and Governor Obaseki over Shaibu’s decision tall ambition to aspire for the governorship of the state.
The Shaibu’s political misfortune became avenue for Adjoto to sell himself as a potential replacement for Shaibu.
Shaibu’s decision to take legal action against the governor further escalated the tensions between the parties.
Adjoto in solidarity with governor obaseki and to further position himself for the deputy governorship position addressed a world press conference as the self-proclaimed political leader of the Edo North PDP, where he criticized Shaibu ambition.
After Shaibu’s exit, Obaseki looked outside the PDP to fill the political void left by his deputy. He picked Hon. Godwins Omobayo, a well-known LP member from the Akoko Edo for the post
Feeling scorned and humiliated, Adjoto quickly scampered his way out of the PDP and began to cry over split milk.
One striking feature of the duo is that, they never won their ward nor LGA during their stay in PDP but were able to acquire a financial empire.
Now that both men have found refuge in the opposition APC, it would be interesting to see how they utilize their shared experience to boost the electoral fortunes of the APC, at least for the first time in a long while.
