‘My faith made me accept apology, your unwarranted provocation caused me discomfort’ – Obaseki to Shaibu

<p>The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, says he has accepted the public apology tendered by his deputy, Philip Shaibu. </p>, <p>Obaseki however disclosed that Shaibu’s unwarranted provocation caused him severe personal discomfort.</p>, <p>The governor explained that he was under obligation to accept Shaibu’s apology due to his faith.</p>, <p>Shaibu’s ambition to succeed Obaseki in 2024 led to a fallout with the governor.</p>, <p>The rift resulted in Obaseki relocating the deputy governor’s office out of the Government House. </p>, <p>In addition, Obaseki disbanded Shaibu’s media crew and also removed him as the supervisory head of the revenue generation agencies in the state.</p>, <p>But, the deputy governor had begged his principal for forgiveness.</p>, <p>Obaseki accepted Shaibu’s apology in a letter titled ‘Re: Public Apology by Shaibu’.</p>, <p>Parts of the letter read: “I have noted the public apology made by the deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu. This apology followed an aberrant behaviour that contradicts what the people of Edo State stand for.</p>, <p>“To name a few, the deputy governor needlessly filed unfounded petitions in the Nigerian courts restraining me, the State House of Assembly and Security agencies from a non-existent impeachment process, followed by repeated breaches of protocol; unwarranted and unprovoked attacks in the media on my person and the State Government.</p>, <p>He said though these unwarranted provocations caused him severe personal discomfort, “but, as a person of faith, I am under obligation to accept this apology because as they say, to err is human, to forgive is divine.</p>, <p>“In good faith, I trust that the public apology as expressed by the Deputy Governor is genuine and followed by contrite steps to improve his conflict resolution skills. I also enjoin the Deputy Governor to guide his proxies to act in accordance with his piety.”</p>