Ousted Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu, has lambasted members of the Edo State House of Assembly, who impeached him on Monday.
Shaibu who has been at loggerheads with his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki, was eventually booted out of office by the lawmakers.
The incident followed the adoption of the report of the seven-man investigative panel inaugurated by the Assembly to probe allegations of misconduct against Shaibu.
Shortly after his removal, Obaseki announced the choicr of a 38-year-old Engineer as the new deputy governor.
Reacting to the impeachment, Shaibu said the lawmakers gave themselves to an act of betrayal and subversion of justice, adding that history will be cruel to them.
The former deputy governor made this statement in a video he posted on his X account shortly after the impeachment.
Shaibu said, “To the members of the Edo House of Assembly, who have chosen to forsake their oath of office and participate in this charade, I say this: history will judge you hardly for your betrayal of the people who elected you to represent their interest.
“But know this, you do not have the power to silence the voice of power and truth”, calling for the support of the people as she said, “I call upon the judiciary and all relevant authorities to intervene and uphold the principles of justice and fairness.”
He said he was shown the exit because of his ambition to run for the office of the governor, which he described as “an ambition that is legal right.”
“It is with heavy heart yet a resolute spirit that I come before you to address the recent events that have unfolded within our dear state. I denounce in strongest terms the illegal impeachment by the Edo state house of assembly over trumped-up charges, this is not just an attack on me as an individual but on the very democratic principles that we hold dear.
“It’s a dangerous descent into dictatorship, a threat to the foundation of our democracy. Let it be clear that this impeachment was hatched because of my ambition to contest the Edo Governorship election 2024 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).”
“My good people of Edo State, thank you all for standing by me under these troubling circumstances as the Deputy Governor of Edo State,” he added.
