Politics
Edo: Assembly Relegates Deputy Governor’s Office Below SSG On Budgetary Allocation
JomogNews Nigeria reports that the rift between the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, and his deputy, Philip Shaibu, seems not over following the recent allocation to the deputy governor’s office.
According to Vanguard, the budgetary allocation to the office of the deputy governor was a paltry N300 million as against the governor’s N19 billion, the Secretary to the State Government’s (SSG) N18 billion, the House of Assembly’s N13 billion and the Head of Service (HoS) N968 million.
The platform noted that some observers believe that the slash in the allocation to the deputy governor’s office was because of his ambition to succeed his boss as governor of the state.
The 2024 Appropriation Bill was signed into law on Friday, December 15, 2023.
Some lawmakers believed to be loyal to the deputy governor opposed the decision of the assembly members to pass the budget as presented by the governor, which they said was an “unfair appropriation,” but they were overwhelmed by the Speaker, Rt. Hon Blessing Agbebaku and others.
A peep into the accented budget showed that the sum of N19,148,177,584 went to the Governor while the deputy governor’s office was allocated the sum of N345,522,729.
The office of the Secretary to State Government (SSG) had N8,847,647,676, office of the Head of Service (HoS) N968,000,000 while the House of Assembly had the sum of N13,074,500,000.
A politician close to the governor who spoke with Vanguard said Obaseki vowed to ridicule and punish Shaibu financially in a bid to frustrate his governorship aspiration.
An insider said the budget has divided the lawmakers, “The governor believes he is having a field day now but may end up the worst for it. The Speaker may be the first victim in all of these.”
But a principal member of the House of Assembly said there is no division in the house.
He said, “The sum allocated to the office of the deputy governor is not small. The deputy governor is contesting election and you know what it takes to contest, he will have no time for official duties so the governor decided that since he will not do those official work, you cannot allocate such money to the office.”
The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, has initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Deputy Ngozi Odu, issuing them a seven-day notice to respond to allegations of gross misconduct.
The Assembly cited eight specific allegations of gross misconduct as the basis for the move.
This is the third time Fubara and Odu would be facing impeachment proceedings from the Assembly since coming to office in 2023.
Attempts to impeach them in 2023 and 2025, amid political feuds between the Governor and his predecessor and erstwhile political god-father, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, had been halted by presidential intervention.
Here are the allegations below:
1. Reckless and unconstitutional expenditure of public funds
2. Unconstitutional misappropriation of public funds
3. Hindering the Rivers Assembly from performing its constitutional duties
4. Illegal appointments of persons without screening by the House of Assembly as provided by the Constitution
5. Seizure of salaries and funds meant for Assembly members
6. Seizure of salaries of the clerk of the Rivers House of Assembly, Emeka Amadi
7. Refusal to implement provisions of the Constitution on financial autonomy of the legislature and the judiciary
8. Withholding of funds meant for the running of the Rivers House of Assembly Service Commission and hindering its activities
Lilian Adebayo, the wife of the 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, has said that the party will unseat the ruling All Progressive Party at the 2027 election if Nigerians are true to themselves.
Mrs Adebayo made this assertion known on Wednesday during an interview with journalists after an event in Abuja.
According to her, the opposition party has overcome its crisis after the expulsion of its former chairman, Shehu Gabam and others.
She said Nigerians should vote the APC out in the 2027 general election due to the hardship the party has plunged citizens into.
“There is always a crisis in the party; the SPD has been able to handle its own. The problems in the party have been resolved.
“He has a great chance of winning the election if Nigerians are honest with themselves. If Nigerians think that the ones they consistently vote for would move the country forward, they live in denial,” she concerning the husband.
Recall that SDP recently expelled Gabam and other party executives.
The party’s state chairmen on Wednesday urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the police to investigate Gabam over alleged misappropriation.
In a significant political move, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.
Mbah announced his decision during a televised broadcast in Enugu after weeks of speculation.
He said, “Today, after a long reflection, we have made the decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party and join the All Progressives Congress.”
Mbah explained that his decision to join the PDP was informed by the need to reshape Enugu and reorganise the politics of the state.
“Today, I stand before you to announce a break from the past and to share a decision that will shape the road ahead. This concerns our values, how we organize ourselves politically and how we secure the future of our project and our people.
“Leadership sometimes demands painful decisions in the service of higher principles and goals. And there comes a time, when everyone must make a bold choice to determine their destiny.”
Ahead of the governor’s defection, all members of his cabinet had on joined the ruling party.
Governor Mbah’s Senior Media Aide, Dan Nwomeh, confirmed the mass defection in a video posted on his social media handles on Monday. In the video, several government officials were seen openly declaring their allegiance to the APC, chanting praises for President Bola Tinubu and affirming their commitment to the new party.
“Enugu State Cabinet Members join the APC with full chest along with Governor PN Mbah,” Nwomeh stated.
The officials, including commissioners and top aides, could be heard in the video declaring, “We are now in APC; tomorrow is here; it is APC all the way; it is Jagaban all the way; from top to bottom.”
The collective defection marks a significant political shift in Enugu State, which has been a PDP stronghold since 1999.
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