By DADA AYOKHAI
The former Edo State deputy governor, Philip Shaibu was recently welcome home by his kinsmen in Jattu, Etsako west LGA after completion of tenure in office.
A Thanksgiving service was also a part of the homecoming package. It was held to essentially thank God for preserving his life during his political sojourn
These two events symbolizes a fitting end to Shaibu’s topsy-turvy political career which began in 2003.
Shaibu’s political career took off in 2003 when he contested for the Edo State House of Assembly seat to represent the Etsako Constituency 2 on the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) platform and failed.
Sad but not giving up hope, he picked up his gaulet again with the arrival of Comrade Adams Oshiomole into Edo politics immediately after his tenure as the NLC President.
With their radical and people-oriented brand of politics, led by the former comrade governor, Hon. Shaibu and the others experienced instant political fame under the then Action Congress (AC) umbrella.
Again in 2007, he won the same assembly seat he had previously lost on the ANPP banner, he was appointed the Minority Chief Whip and later majority leader of the House
In 2011, he was re-elected to serve a second term at the end of which he opted to go to the House of Representatives in 2015 to represent the Etsako federal constituency.
He was almost two years into his tenure in the Lower House when he was poached to pair with governor Obaseki for the Edo governorship election on the APC banner in 2016 which they won effortlessly.
All was well between them and their political godfather, Comrade Oshiomole until 2020 when they sought re-election.
Sensing they might not make any significant headway in the APC as long as Oshiomole held sway, the duo defected to the PDP where they eventually won the election,.
Having gone almost a full cycle in his political trajectory, no one anticipated that the boisterous Shaibu would fall out with his principal, Gov Obaseki so soon. Even the naysayers would not have predicted the parting of ways between the duo who often referred to themselves “senior and junior brother”
It first started as a whimper discussed only in the closets. It then spread like wildfire and before anyone could grab his popcorn to savour the treat, the combatants were at each other’s throats.
With less than six months before they exited office, Shaibu was impeached by the Edo state House Assembly .
Today, Shaibu is back home with his kinsmen after almost 18 years continuous stay in power. He has set record of being the first deputy governor of Edo state to be impeached.
