Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has gracefully accepted the public apology offered by his deputy, Philip Shaibu. In a gesture of reconciliation, Governor Obaseki emphasized that “to err is human, but forgiving is divine.”
The relationship between the two political leaders had been strained in recent times due to Deputy Governor Shaibu’s gubernatorial aspirations.
However, in a surprising turn of events, Shaibu publicly expressed his remorse over their political differences last week.
While addressing journalists in Benin City, Shaibu appealed to Governor Obaseki, saying, “I use this medium to appeal to Mr. Governor, if there is anything that I don’t know that I have done, please forgive me so that we can develop our state together.”
In response to the apology, Governor Obaseki released a statement personally signed by him, wherein he regarded the petitions signed by his deputy as unwarranted provocations and described the purported impeachment proceedings as non-existent.
He acknowledged the apology as an important step towards reconciliation.
The governor stated, “Although these unwarranted provocations caused me severe personal discomfort, 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.'”
Governor Obaseki expressed his faith in the sincerity of Shaibu’s apology and urged his deputy to take concrete steps to enhance his conflict resolution skills.
He also encouraged Shaibu to ensure that his associates act in accordance with the principles of reconciliation and unity.
In closing, Governor Obaseki expressed his hope that this gesture of reconciliation would bring an end to the recent tensions and enable the state government to focus on delivering the benefits of democracy to the people of Edo State during the remaining twelve months of their tenure.
