Obaseki, Shaibu sworn-in for second term

EDO State Governor Godwin Obaseki has been sworn in for a second term in office alongside his deputy Philip Shaibu.

The state’s chief judge Justice Esther Edigin administered the oath of office on Thursday around noon at the tennis court of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City.

Among the dignitaries in attendance were Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and Duoye Diri of Bayelsa State.

National chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Uche Secondus was also present at the event.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was represented by a government official.

Obaseki had defected to the PDP from the All Progressives Congress after he was denied the ruling party’s ticket in the primary election due to intra-party wranglings.

The APC had disqualified him for presenting a “defective” certificate.

His disqualification is believed to have been engineered by his erstwhile ally and predecessor in office, Adams Oshiomhole.

Obaseki would later be pitted against Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who backed by Oshiomhole, emerged as the standard-bearer of the APC.

He defeated Ize-Iyamu in the September 19, 2020 governorship election to be re-elected governor of the state.

Ize-Iyamu is a familiar political rival of Obaseki and the defeat of September 19, 2020 made it the second time in two successive electoral years.

Obaseki had earlier defeated Ize-Iyamu in 2016 when he contested on the platform of the PDP.

Speaking at the inauguration, Obaseki promised to consolidate his first-term achievements.

He said, “We will also rapidly develop our critical energy, housing, digital and road Infrastructure, which provides a framework to drive inclusive growth as well as build the economy and drive industrialization, trade and investment, to solidify our state’s status as the choice investment destination in the country.

“We will preserve the environment and public utilities, to make our state more functional and adapt to the challenges of climate change and rural-urban migration. Our major drive will be the clean and green Edo initiative and sustaining our campaign to plant trees and restore the forest.”

“We will preserve the environment and public utilities, to make our state more functional and adapt to the challenges of climate change and rural-urban migration. Our major drive will be the clean and green Edo initiative and sustaining our campaign to plant trees and restore the forest,” he said at the inauguration.