Comrade Philip Shaibu was on Sunday night seeking an alternative venue to make his formal declaration to succeed Governor Godwin Obaseki after the hotel he earlier booked for the occasion cancelled the booking.
GWG.ng reports that the move is about the first act in what is expected to be increasing pressures on the deputy governor. In the next few days allegations bordering on money and expenditure by the office of the deputy governor are expected to emerge.
GWG.ng gathered that the booking by the Philip Shaibu Campaign Organsiation to use Eterno Hotel for the declaration on Monday morning was cancelled on Sunday on the claim that the venue had earlier been booked by a pro-Obaseki group for about the same time.
Shaibu had earlier shared an invitation to stakeholders for the declaration at Eterno Hotel, Benin City. The hotel is believed to be owned by a chieftain of the PDP.
A source close to the pro-Obaseki group, told GWG.ng that the hall was booked about two weeks ago. It is not known when the Shaibu Campaign paid for the hall.
However, the Shaibu Campaign has traced the cancellaiton of the booking to pressure from above.
The Punch quoted an associate of the deputy governor as saying:
“We found this very preposterous that we were contacted by the hotel management that a group had paid for the same venue for a programme slated for 7 a.m. same date.
“We know where this is coming from. Whatever their plans to frustrate our declaration will definitely fail. They are jittery over Shaibu’s declaration and popularity.”
GWG.ng reports that Shaibu and Governor Obaseki had been at odds over the deputy governor’s determination to succeed the governor despite the agitation for power shift to Edo Central. Obaseki is believed to be backing a lawyer from the region as his successor.
It was gathered that in the next few days allegations bordering on expenditures in the office of the deputy governor will emerge, meaning that the cancellation of the declaration by Eterno Hotel could only mean the first of the cold winter for Philip Shaibu