Impeachment: APC Supporters in Etsako West Protest Alleged Defection Plan by Shaibu

Support groups of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State staged a protest on Tuesday against alleged plans by the former deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, to rejoin the party.

Hundreds of protesters marched through the streets of Auchi, the local government headquarters, and concluded their march at the party’s secretariat in Auchi, where they submitted a communique outlining their stance.

Yakubu Musa, a former local government chairman of Etsako West LGA and spokesperson for the protesters, read the communique, stating their firm opposition to Shaibu’s potential return to the party.

They argued that since Shaibu’s departure from the party in 2020, he has not won any election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and his return would not benefit the party.

The group also criticized Shaibu for his alleged involvement in the 2019 Edo House of Assembly crisis, where 14 elected lawmakers were not sworn in.

The communique expressed lingering grievances over Shaibu’s actions, stating that his return would not be welcomed by the party.

TShahe protesters appealed to the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, not to entertain Shaibu’s attempts to return to the party.

They also urged the Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, to resist any overtures from Shaibu to facilitate his return.

In response to the protests, Musa Ebomhiana, the media aide to Philip Shaibu, dismissed the protesters as sponsored individuals who do not have the authority to dictate Shaibu’s political decisions. He emphasized that it is the party leadership that determines such matters, not protesters.