By Zakariyya Aliyu Gwaram
The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, was removed from office by the Edo State House of Assembly.
This event took place during the assembly’s session on Monday in Benin City, the capital of Edo State.
The decision to impeach Shaibu came after the house accepted the findings of a seven-member panel, which was established by the Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, to look into accusations of misconduct against the deputy governor.
The process to impeach Shaibu began last week when the Edo State House of Assembly initiated proceedings. A petition supporting this move was signed by 21 of the 24 members, accusing Shaibu of committing perjury and leaking confidential state government information.
At the session last Tuesday, the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, informed the members that the time allowed for Shaibu to reply to the impeachment notice had passed.
Agbebaku highlighted that the notice was delivered to Shaibu on March 6, 2024. However, due to Shaibu’s purported attempts to avoid receiving the notice, the assembly mandated that the notice be delivered through alternative means.
This alternative service was executed by publishing the notice in the Nigerian Observer and the Vanguard Newspapers on March 12, 2024, and by March 19, 2024, the seven-day period for Shaibu’s response had concluded.
Subsequently, Charity Aiguobarueghan, the Majority Leader of the Edo House of Assembly, proposed a motion for Justice Okungbowa to appoint a committee to investigate the allegations against Shaibu.
Shaibu’s impeachment marks the peak of the ongoing political conflict between him and Governor Godwin Obaseki.
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