Obaseki vs Shaibu: 5 reasons govs reject their deputies as successors

• The rift between Governor Godwin Obaseki has opened an avenue for many to ask why governors and deputies fallout when it comes to succession
• Among the reasons are suspicion and lack of trust on the part of governors towards their deputies
• Other issues Godfatherism and power rotation factor which are most times out of the control of the governors

The current feud between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his former deputy, Philip Shuaib (recently impeached and replaced), started with the question of succession for the Edo governorship seat.

While Edo stands polarised ahead of the gubernatorial election slated for November, Shuaibu has decided to approach the judiciary to contest his impeachment by the state House of Assembly

Many cases of governor-deputy friction that revolve around succession have similar causes which this article explores.

Many governors do not end well with their principals while in officeSource: Twitter

Power rotation

Claims by those conversant with Edo politics have it that while Governor Obaseki wanted a successor from other local government areas other than Etsako West where Shaibu and his predecessor, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, are from, the former deputy is very much interested in the seat.

Obaseki is of the view that giving the seat to Etsako West for the third time would be injustice to other local government areas in the North and then the Central, which have never produced a governor before.

Trust issues

In many cases, Nigerian governors look the other way when it comes to leaving their office for the next persons instead of their deputies due to lack of trust. Some governors are not certain that their second-in-command will follow in their legacies or cover their tracks, if there are skeletons to hide.

This is often because some deputies were imposed on the governor by bigwigs in their political. Thus, the a number of governors and their deputies were never political allies from inception.

Godfatherism

Quite akin to the above factor is the monster called Godfatherism in politics. Almost always, there are political demi-gods calling the shots behind the scene.

Thus, given that the great ones in the party or anywhere near the governors are not in favour of their deputies’ gubernatorial ambition, things eventually turn awry, if not violent.

Disloyalty

Another factor that can prompt an out-going governor not to endorse his deputy as his successor is disloyalty on the part of the latter.

If for any reason a governor suspects that his deputy is not loyal to him, the chances are that he will go for someone else who will do only his bidding when he leaves office. Needless to say, it is known that the Nigerian version of democracy is such that elected officials still want to exercise some level of control after their tenure.

Speaking on this issue, Olamilekan Adefolarin, a political economist, noted:

“Fundamentally, for many of them, endorsing them is like self-inflicted poisoning. Nonetheless, the Nigerian is not against governors endorsing their deputies, but one can understand this could also be a plot to allow somebody that would succeed them to cover up the mess they might have created.”

Corrupt dealings

Unfortunately, according to a one-time national coordinator of the APC Professional Forum (APC-PF), Comrade Akeem Akintayo, most governors do not value loyalty and capacity. They rather focus more on who can cover their tracks.

Akintayo had said:

“Overtime it has been revealed that most deputies who take over from their predecessors cannot be trusted to keep the dirty secrets of the bosses. I think this is the main reason many Nigerian governors or political leaders do not want their deputies to succeed them. A case study is the relationship between Obasanjo and Atiku.

“These deputies know too much of their respective bosses and their corrupt dealings; in that case the chief executive declines support to their second-in- command. It is typical of the Nigerian political scenario…”

New Edo Deputy Governor Emerges as Obaseki Picks 37-Year-Old, Photo, Details Surface

Obaseki had picked Marvellous Omobayo Godwins as his deputy. This comes hours after the impeachment of Philip Shaibu.

Omobayo’s inauguration was also set to take place on Monday, April 8, at the Edo state government house in Benin City.

Source: TheTalk.NG

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