Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has accepted the public apology tendered by his estranged Deputy, Philip Shaibu, adding that as a man of faith, he was bound to accept the apology.
Obaseki, in a letter said he believes that the public apology made by Shaibu was genuine and will be followed by contrite steps to improve his conflict resolution skills.
He said the deputy governor displayed some aberrant behaviour that contradicts what the people of Edo State stand for including needlessly filing unfounded petitions in the Nigerian courts restraining the governor, the State House of Assembly and Security agencies from a non-existent impeachment process, followed by repeated breaches of protocol; unwarranted and unprovoked attacks in the media on the governor and the State Government.
He also noted that although these unwarranted provocations caused severe personal discomfort, he is under obligation to accept his deputy’s apology.
You will recall that Obaseki and Shaibu have been at daggers drawn for some months over alleged plot to impeach the deputy governor, which both Obaseki and the Edo State House of Assembly has denied.
The crisis between the two men got to a head last week when Shaibu was shut out of his office within the Government House, Benin.
This came after Obaseki had allocated a new office to the deputy governor outside the promises of the Government House.