By Austen Akhagbeme

The story has finally come to a grotesque end, the story of a feigned love and political convenience or so it seems.

So, when retired Justice Omonua and his seven-man panel that were to look into the impeachment petitions against the former Deputy Governor of Edo state, Comrade Phillip Shaibu, concluded their job and submitted their report to the waiting hands of the state house of assembly members, it was obvious that Comrade Phillip Shaibu and the long story of loyalty, disloyalty, apologies, forgiveness and vendetta between him and Governor Obaseki has come to a sorrowful end.

It is interesting to know ( even without any personal defence on the part of Shaibu) that the panel didn’t find him guilty of all accusations. The accusation of perjury could not be substantiated by the complainant. But the hammer fell on the bases of the second allegation of the disclosure of government official documents for which he was sworn on oath to protect as a public servant.

Well, it is all over now. Many are of the opinion that Godwin Obaseki went too far and that his action is injurious to a Party seeking reelection. Philip Shaibu’s only sin was to aspire against Obaseki’s aspiration of wanting to have a final choice on who succeed him. It turned out to become a “fatal desire” by Shaibu.

Some said Shaibu could have been more circumspect in handling his innate ambition based on his knowledge of his boss and his idiosyncrasies. But in politics, personal interest supercedes reason, even though the search for political relevance can jeopardize political safety.

Comrade Phillip Shaibu is a fighter. What is not known yet is the theater he will choose to fight from going forward. With the baby thrown away with the bathwater, and with a very huge cost to the PDP, Obaseki has won the battle. But it remains to be seen if he would win the war.

• Austen Akhagbeme is a Columnist with Blank NEWS Online