The Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, has reacted to reports that he was planning to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress..
Shaibu spoke as a former Governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, said he is not wanted in the APC.
In a statement on Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary, Musa Ebomhiana, Shaibu said the architects of the story claiming he was leaving the PDP for the APC were hack writers and mischief-makers who were bent on destabilising the state.
The statement said: “They will stop at nothing to widen the gulf between Mr Governor, His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki and his Deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu.
“They have generated more lies from the pit of hell, saying that Comrade Philip Shaibu has perfected plans to rejoin the All Progressives Congress, APC, next week. There is no iota of truth in this.
“To further put a lie to this, the spin doctors claimed that the APC National Working Committee, NWC is set to receive him in Abuja.
“The question here for the discerning minds is that, is it the NWC of a party that receives a decampee into the party?
“Shaibu has never minced words, vowing to sink and swim with his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki.
“This, he has said severally at public fora.
“In view of this, I plead with these characters bent on driving a wedge between Comrade Philip Shaibu and his boss, Governor Godwin Obaseki to put the Edo project and the people far above their own selfish interest.”
Also on Thursday, Oshiomhole said the APC was not an Internally Displaced Persons camp for the rehabilitation of those chased out of their party.
He said as such, Shaibu will not be welcomed to the party.
