December 30, (THEWILL) – The deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has refuted the claim by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) zonal vice chairman (South-South), Dan Orbih, that Governor Godwin Obaseki collected $300,000 from him (Shaibu) to settle issues of the party’s governorship ticket in the 2020 gubernatorial poll in the State.
Recall that Chief Orbih had hosted some PDP chieftains in his country home at Ogbona, Etsako Central local government area of the State, where he alleged of bribery.
In a video that has gone viral, Orbih alleged that Shaibu told him that Governor Obaseki collected the sum of $300,000 from him (Shaibu) as part of the money to be paid to Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, the leading governorship aspirant in the PDP in the buildup to the 2020 gubernatorial election, to step down for Obaseki, when the governor was disqualified from the 2020 guber primary of his former party, the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Orbih had also claimed that during the reconciliation, anchored by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, he inquired from Governor Obaseki to confirm if he gave money to anybody to allow him join the party or contest for governorship and “he (Obaseki) said no.”
“Shaibu told me that Governor Obaseki demanded $300,000 from him to make up funds to settle Hon. Ogbeide-Ihama for the governorship ticket, which he gave his boss, Governor Obaseki, only to discover that no Penny was given to Hon. Ogbeide-Ihama, neither did he demand a dime for stepping down”, Orbih said.
But reacting to the allegation, the Edo deputy governor, described the claim as an absolute falsehood.
The statement personally signed by Shaibu read: “It has come to my attention that the National Vice Chairman, South-South of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Osi Orbih, has made an absolutely false allegation, purporting that I had given the Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Mr Godwin Obaseki, the sum of $300,000 to hand over to Orbih as part of some sort of political settlement regarding the Edo State chapter of the PDP.
“Nothing can be farther from the truth.
“I want to state without equivocation that no such transaction ever occurred.
“It even betrays reasons that, as Deputy Governor, I would have to send the State Governor, my boss, on an errand to hand money to a party leader.
“It is an aberration of the highest proportion that deserves no contemplation.
“I, therefore, condemn the rumour in its entirety and urge that the insinuations be disregarded, as it has no basis in facts.”
