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Obaseki Vs Shaibu: Tinubu, Okorocha, Other Govs Who ‘Fought’ Their Deputies

Published

2 years ago

August 29, 2023

The ongoing feud between Governor Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu encapsulates age long history of political tussle between states principals and their second-in-command.’

The show of no love lost between Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu continued over the weekend during the state’s 32nd anniversary thanksgiving church service held at the Festival Hall, Government House on Sunday.

Both Obaseki and Shaibu have been at loggerheads over the latter’s ambition to contest the 2024 governorship polls in the state.

In an apparent move to wade off any show of public affection, security aides attached to Obaseki reportedly barred Shaibu from approaching the governor during the event. Again, the following day, on Monday, August 28, at the 60th anniversary of the Midwest Referendum celebration, Shaibu’s media aides were reportedly denied entry to the venue of the event, despite pleas from the deputy governor who later stormed out.

All these developments only mean one thing, that both men are far from sheathing their swords even though the deputy governor had a few times downplayed their disagreement.

In the larger context, feuds between a governor and his deputy are not new to the Nigerian political space. Infact, since the return of democracy in 1999, several states have had their fair share of such battle royales.

In this piece, we highlight a few of those notable tussles between state governors and their second-in-command.

Bola Tinubu vs Femi Pedro

President Bola Tinubu as governor of Lagos State had a go with his then deputy, Otunba Olufemi Pedro.

Pedro was said to have got on the wrong side of his principal over Tinubu’s choice to back his Chief of Staff, Tunde Fashola, as his successor.

The animosity between both men forced the deputy governor to defect to the Labour Party and contest against his boss anointed heir, Fashola.

After the election, which he lost, Pedro got an impeachment notice from the House of Assembly. He promptly sent in his resignation letter, but the lawmakers were said to have rejected the letter leading to his eventual impeachment.

Rochas Okorocha vs Jude Agbaso & Eze Madumere

Former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, had two deputy governors for his two terms in office and fell out with both of them at different points.

Jude Agbaso was deputy governor of Imo State till March 2013 when he was impeached. It was said that Agbaso’s battle with his principal began when he challenged the then-governor for a second tenure, citing a supposed gentleman’s agreement that stipulated that Okorocha would rule Imo State for only four years. He was sent packing and summarily replaced by Prince Eze Madumere.

If Agbaso and Okorocha’s relationship was a political necessity, Madumere’s relationship with Okorocha was seen to be more cordial. However, he too fell out with his principal in similar circumstances.

Madumere was said to be against the choice of Okorocha’s son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, as his successor. Miffed, Madumere threw his cap into the ring, creating a breakaway faction full of his loyalists in the All Progressives Congress.

Abdullahi Ganduje vs Hafiz Abubakar

When Prof Hafiz Abubakar resigned as the deputy of then-Kano State governor Abdullahi Ganduje on August 4, 2018, he said the decision was taken due to ‘irreconcilable differences’ on matters relating to governance and government operations.

He further stated he suffered “immeasurable and unjustifiable humiliation” for over two and a half years on issues of governance and the desire to keep government on track.

Though Ganduje denied those allegations, observers said the Ganduje’s feud with Abubakar began when the latter failed to disassociate himself from the governor’s predecessor, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.

Obong Victor Attah vs Chris Ekpenyong

Former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Obong Victor Attah’s not-so-cordial relationship with his then deputy, Dr. Chris Ekpenyong, degenerated to the point that the latter was impeached.

Despite efforts by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo and the PDP to halt the impeachment, the state House of Assembly voted to remove Ekpeyong in June 2005.

Ayodele Fayose vs Abiodun Aluko

Governor Ayo Fayose was alleged to have instigated the removal of his deputy, Abiodun Aluko in 2005.

The state House of Assembly impeached Aluko after finding him guilty of 16 offences. The lawmakers claimed all the offences were grounds for impeachment.

Isa Yuguda vs Garba Gadi

Alhaji Garba Gadi was said to have crossed the red line with his principal, Isa Yuguda, owing to the latter’s refusal to defect to the PDP from the ANPP that brought them to power.

Gadi was impeached but later re-instated by a High Court in Bauchi due to irregularities in the proceedings leading to his impeachment.

Olusegun Mimiko vs Ali Olanusi

Former Ondo State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, was said to have enraged his principal, Olusegun Mimiko when he defected to the All Progressives Congress instead of joining him in the Peoples Democratic Party.

He was impeached by the state House of Assembly in 2015 but two years later, a court declared the impeachment illegal and restored Olanusi to his office. But it was too little too late for him as his tenure with Mimiko had already elapsed.
PUNCH

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FG, UK Rally Support As 2 States, 150 LGAs Become Open Defecation Free

Published

6 hours ago

November 23, 2025

Editor

Following the declaration of about 158 Local Government Areas and two states as having achieved Open Defecation Free status, the Federal Government, Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), and Self Help Africa have called for concerted efforts to sustain and scale up the achievement to other states.

They made the call on Sunday in Abuja at the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Systems Learning Forum organised by Self Help Africa WASH Systems for Health Project, funded by the UK government.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof Joseph Utsev, in a keynote address, said that although, with the help of development partners, two states and 150 LGAs have been declared open defecation free, it is important that the progress is sustained; otherwise, it can vanish easily.

He said, “These milestones are worth celebrating, yet we must remain humble: victory in WASH is never final; it must be continuously maintained. Otherwise, progress can vanish faster than a bucket of cold water left in the Abuja sun.”

The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Richard Pheelangwah, however, noted some of the persistent challenges in the WASH sector, including monitoring gaps, weak data reliability, and limited accountability.

He added, “Our WASH Information Management System (WASHIMS), although innovative, is not yet fully operational across all states and local governments. The WASHNORM exercise has not been conducted since 2021, creating data gaps that affect planning. In the WASH sector, no data is as dangerous as wrong data—both lead to poor decisions.”

He applauded the learning forum, saying it is an opportunity to pause and ask how to fully operationalise WASHNORM nationwide, as well as automate and institutionalise WASH norms, and also ensure that every investment is traceable, measurable, and accountable.

‘Scale up efforts to end open defecation, achieve sanitation target by 2030’
The Country Director of Self Help Africa, Joy Aderele, stated that through the support of FCDO, the organisation is implementing a five-year project named WASH Systems for Health Programme in West Africa.

The project, according to her, is aimed at strengthening systems, enhancing capacities, and reforming policies across the countries where it operates, including Nigeria and Sierra Leone, and enabling communities to continue thriving even after the programme ends in 2027.

She pointed out that through collaboration, ranging from government ministries driving reforms to local actors designing context-specific solutions, systems can be transformed, but she emphasised that much work remains.

She said, “Only 158 of more than 700 local government areas in Nigeria have achieved open defecation-free (ODF) status. This figure shows progress but also underscores the scale of the challenge.”

Aderele explained that the sessions will provide opportunities to share ideas, tackle barriers, and draw on practical insights, while also celebrating milestones with humility, recognising that future gains depend on the work being done today.

The representative of FCDO, Gill Fletcher, in her remarks stated that the WASH Systems for Health project is being implemented in six countries: Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Tanzania, Nepal, and Bangladesh, to drive systematic change to ensure sustainable and equitable WASH services.

She emphasised that WASH is not just a sector, but it is central to achieving SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation, improving health outcomes, advancing gender equality, unlocking economic growth, and is also critical to Nigeria’s national development agenda of reducing poverty and meeting global commitments.
(Guardian)

News

JUST IN: Tinubu Orders Withdrawal Of Police Guards From VIPs

Published

6 hours ago

November 23, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate withdrawal of police officers assigned to provide security for Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country.

In a statement released by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, the administration said the police will henceforth refocus on their primary responsibilities instead of guarding individuals.

The directive, according to the statement, followed a high-level security meeting held on Sunday in Abuja with the heads of the police, army, Air Force, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).

The presidency clarified that, going forward, “VIPs who want police protection will now request well-armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.”Africa Grain Supply

The statement added that many rural communities are underserved by police personnel, leaving residents vulnerable. It explained that the President wants to strengthen security nationwide by ensuring more officers are deployed back to local stations.

“In view of the current security challenges facing the country, President Tinubu is desirous of boosting police presence in all communities,” it said, noting that Tinubu has already approved the recruitment of 30,000 new police officers.

The federal government is also partnering with state governments to upgrade police training centres across the country.

Those present at Sunday’s meeting included Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and DSS Director-General Tosin Adeola Ajayi.

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JUST IN: 50 Abducted Niger Catholic School Students Escape, Reunite With Families — CAN

Published

9 hours ago

November 23, 2025

Editor

At least 50 students kidnapped at the St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Agwara local government, Niger State have reportedly escaped and reunited with their parents, bringing hope to families of the abducted victims.

Recall on November 21,2025 armed bandits stormed the school and abducted 303 students and 12 teachers bringing the total to 315.

The state Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna who is also the Proprietor of the school and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese gave the update in a statement issued by his Media Aide, Daniel Atori in Minna.

The chairman explained that the pupils escaped between Friday and Saturday and have reunited with their parents as they could not return to the school after they escaped.

“We were able to ascertain this when we decided to contact and visit some parents.

” This is to notify the public that, as at Sunday 23rd November, 2025 we have received some good news as fifty pupils escaped and have reunited with their parents. We were able to ascertain this when we decided to contact and visit some parents, ” the statement disclosed”

“For the records, we now have Primary 251 pupils, 14 Secondary students and 12 teachers still with their abductors”.

”In the primary section out of the total number of 430 pupils we have in the school, 377 of them are boarders and the remaining 53 others are non boarders”

“Currently, aside from the 50 pupils that escaped and have returned home, we have 141 pupils who were not carried away. As it stands now, we have 236 pupils, another 3 children who belong to our staff, 14 Secondary students making a total of 253 children including 12 members of staff with the abductors, ” the CAN chairman stated.

The cleric called on everyone to remain calm and prayerful as he assured of continous active collaboration with security operatives, community leaders, government and relevant authorities for the safe and quick return of all abductees.

“As much as we receive the return of these 50 children that escaped with some sigh of relief, I urge you all to continue in your prayers for the rescue and safe return of the remaining victims, ” Bishop Yohanna added..