Tensions between Governor Monday Okpebholo’s APC-led administration and President Bola Tinubu’s government deepened Wednesday after a leaked video showed APC chieftain and former Edo Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, openly criticizing the President and the Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Lateef Fagbemi SAN, over the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State.
In the footage, Shaibu, seated beside the Secretary of Akoko Edo Local Government Area, delivers a scathing assessment of the federal government’s handling of the situation and its attempt to remove Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara from office.
“Removing Fubara was very unlawful and unconstitutional. You can declare a state of emergency, even bring a sole administrator, but you cannot remove elected government officials. The governor still remains, that is how it is done. He will just be there ceremoniously,” Shaibu said.
The comments land at a sensitive time for Okpebholo’s government, which is already grappling with strained relations with the Presidency. This marks the second instance in recent weeks where senior figures in Edo APC have publicly challenged the President and the Attorney General.
The first confrontation erupted after Okpebholo moved to suspend elected local government chairmen across Edo State; a move that directly violated a Supreme Court ruling. The Attorney General swiftly issued a nationwide directive warning governors against such actions. Despite this, Okpebholo’s administration pressed on, triggering sharp reactions from the Presidency. APC insiders say the President and the Attorney General viewed the governor’s defiance, along with the media blitz launched by his aides to justify the illegal suspensions, as a deliberate affront.
Shaibu’s latest outburst escalates the standoff, with the former Deputy Governor privately describing the President’s actions as unlawful and the AGF’s legal advice as unconstitutional. His remarks, captured on video, raise fresh questions about Governor Okpebholo’s loyalty to the APC-led federal government and his alignment with the President’s political agenda.
Presidency sources confirmed late Wednesday that they are aware of Shaibu’s statement. However, there is no indication yet of how the President intends to respond.
