Edo Assembly Begins Impeachment Proceeding Against Deputy Gov Shaibu

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City 

The Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA) Wednesday commenced impeachment proceeding against the state deputy governor, Philip Shaibu.

The impeachment proceeding was announced by the Majority Leader, Charity Aiguobarueghian, who said that a petition to that effect, dated March 5, 2024, was signed by 21 out of the 24 members against the deputy governor.

Aiguobarueghian stated that the members who signed the petition were more than the two-third requirement as stipulated in the constitution.

He also announced that the petition was based on two grounds of perjury and revealing of government secrets 

The Speaker of the House, Blessing Agbebaku, who acknowledged receipt of the petition, directed the Clerk of the House, Yahaya Omogbai, to serve the impeachment notice on the deputy governor.

Agbebaku also gave the deputy governor seven days to respond to the notice of impeachment.

Shaibu had been in the eyes of the storm with his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki, over the governorship ticket of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

While Shaibu threw his hat into the ring for the PDP governorship ticket, an ally of Obaseki, Asue Ighodalo, eventually emerged the party’s flag-bearer in the just concluded gubernatorial primary of the party.

However, Shaibu at a parallel governorship primary in his official residence, declared himself winner.

Shaibu, in the heat of the crisis, was also relocated from his former office in the Government House premises to another building outside the Government House.