I Have Been Running My Office From My Pocket Without Allocation for 6 Month  — Deputy Gov, Shaibu

Deputy Governor of Edo State Philip Shaibu and the Governorship candidate for the upcoming 2024 state governorship race, stated on Tuesday that his office has received no funding from the state for the last six months.

At the commissioning of the secretariat of the Correspondents Chapel of the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Benin City, Shaibu revealed this to reporters.

He continued by saying that he had been funding the office with donations from friends and money from his own pocket.

This might have something to do with the ongoing disagreement he has with Godwin Obaseki, the governor of Edo State. 

When Shaibu chose to move his office outside the State Government House in September, the problem got worse.

Sen. Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of the state, commissioned the state Public Procurement Office on December 16, 2014, which is now the new deputy governor’s office.

Additionally, it was previously rumored that Philip Shaibu intended to formally announce his desire to run for the state’s governorship.

A letter dated November 23 and signed by the deputy governor was distributed by the Philip Shaibu Campaign Organization and included the deputy governor’s strategy. This action was intended to challenge his principal. This move was targeted to dare his principal who is against his governorship ambition. 

He said, “I am your ambassador anywhere I am. This is not because of politics, but because of what you have done to save my life in the cause of doing your work.

“I would have done more, but you know there is tension between the governor, (Godwin Obaseki), and I and for six months, no allocation to my office, so whatever I am doing is contributions from friends and my goodwill and I am still standing very strong, I will continue to be strong, because for me, Edo should be one, Edo at every time should be paramount in our minds.

“I wouldn’t have been deputy governor today if I am not alive, but there was a journalist that investigated and wrote a report, saved my life in the hands of the military.”