The news that Edo State Deputy Governor Philip Shuaibu is, allegedly, planning his defection from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to a yet to be known political party may not, likely, occur without causing consequential effects on the politics of the state.
Edo State Deputy Governor Philip Shuaibu defected from All Progressives Congress (APC) to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the Edo State Governorship election in 2020.
Comrade Philip Shuaibu, according to the Vanguard News, is said to have held series of meeting when he was out of the country. The news platform insisted that the meeting were due to the purported defection of Comrade Philip Shuaibu from the Peoples Democratic Party.
If Comrade Philip Shuaibu should, later dump the Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State, it will definitely have two consequential effects on the politics of Edo State.
One, the exit of Philip Shuaibu from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State will, definitely, cause exponential depletion to the membership list of the party in Edo State.
The fact remains that, Comrade Philip Shuaibu is a grassroot politician who has successfully planted himself on the minds of the electorates.
Sincerely, the crowd of electorates that Comrade Philip Shuaibu control in Edo State can only be defeated by his political father, Comrade Adams Oshiomole.
Secondly, if Comrade Philip Shuaibu should defect from Peoples Democratic Party, legal litigation towards his impeachment could be, eminently, possible.
It is important to recall that the Vanguard quoted her source to have disclosed that Comrade Philip Shuaibu is not considering joining any other party after he must have defected from Peoples Democratic Party.
Great, this may not be taken up with utmost seriousness. However, it is still very risky to leave it without critical examination.
One may doubt, if 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, allows an individual to contest as or become Governor or Deputy Governor of any state in Nigeria without being member of a political party that is approved by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Interestingly, there is rarely a defection from Peoples Democratic Party to another political party, in the recent time, that the party has not threatened the major defectors with legal engagement. The purported defection of Comrade Philip Shuaibu from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will, probably face the same threat
