Shaibu in the Eye of the Storm in Edo

Adibe Emenyonu asks if Edo state Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, can weather the political storm as the state Chief Judge, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, constitutes an investigative panel on the impeachment allegations leveled against the embattled public official by the state House of Assembly.

Edo State deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, may be fighting a battle of survival to keep his job as the state number two citizen.

Since last year when he engaged his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki in a battle of wits over who takes over as governor, things have not been at ease with him.

Trouble began to rear its head shortly after Shaibu was captured in a viral video with former Governor of the state and now Senator, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole during the inauguration of the National Assembly in June, 2023.

According to sources, apart from congratulating those who emerged victorious during the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, the Deputy Governor’s mission was to back the alleged plot by Oshiomhole to prevail on the eight members of the APC in the state House of Assembly to support his preferred candidate to emerge as Speaker of the Assembly.

The scheming, as further gathered, was to use the anointed Speaker to secure majority backing and further use them to oil Shaibu’s governorship ambition when the time comes.

Unknown to Shaibu, however, Obaseki having received intelligence reports about the unholy alliance, decided to summon a meeting of all the elected PDP Assembly members at his Benin City residence, excluding his deputy which was extremely unusual as, according to a source, whenever such meetings were called, instruction usually colame from Obaseki to Shaibu to do so.

The meeting had two agenda. One, to choose a Speaker among the state legislators. Secondly, to use their numerical strength to persuade other PDP elected lawmakers to back the governor’s preferred candidate.

Besides, it was gathered that after the meeting, Obaseki immediately moved against Shaibu or at best, dine with him with a long spoon.

Being a clever politician, Shaibu sensing that with his exclusion from the meeting, the topic under discussion may centre around him and armed with the advice from two members of the assembly who are close to him, approached the court to seek protection from his boss, Obaseki to avoid an imminent impeachment and removal from office.

In a motion on notice brought before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja then, the applicant sought an order of interlocutory injunction stopping the respondents or their agents from harassing, intimidating, embarrassing or preventing the applicant from carrying out the functions of his office as Deputy Governor of Edo State, including attending State Executive Council meetings and other functions pending the determination of the substantive suit.

It took the intervention of well meaning personalities including the Catholic Archbishop of Benin Metropolitan See to quell the raging fire and seeming normalcy returned but not without certain consequences.

First, all the persons who came through Shaibu to work in the state MDA’s were either removed or forcefully retired. The second approach was his removal from overseeing the State IGR Board. Thirdly, he was forced out of Government House to another location outside the seat of Government.

This is because there is hardly trust in every reconciliation. And once quarrel is established between friends, the grudges will refuse to go away.

Therefore, as soon as the party primaries was over, the old enemity resurfaced.

This time, it took Shaibu by surprise. In the previous plot he was well in the know. But this time around, he struggled to come to terms with what hit him like a sledge hammer unlike in the past when he appeared to be steps ahead of Obaseki.

Even at that, Shaibu did not conduct himself properly. After the seeming reconciliation following the intervention by some prominent persons he threw his hats into the ring for the PDP ticket which an ally of Obaseki, Asue Ighodalo, eventually won in the just concluded gubernatorial primary of the party. As if that wasn’t enough, Shaibu declared himself winner in the exercise, after he assembled some loyalists in his official quarters in Benin city and held a parallel primary.

What further stoke the embers of fire was his presence at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja recently where he asked that the party should pronounce him the governorship candidate.

Thereafter, the biblical hands of Esau and the voice of Jacob began to play out as Obaseki through the State House of Assembly on Wednesday March 6, 2024 commenced impeachment proceedings against the Deputy governor.

Majority Leader of the House, Hon Charity Aiguobarueghian, during plenary announced that 21 out of the 24 members of the  State House of Assembly had signed an impeachment notice against Shaibu.

The state assembly cited perjury and disclosure of government official secrets as reasons for wanting the embattled deputy governor removed from office.

On Tuesday, March 19, 2024, through a resolution passed by 19 out of the 24 members, the Assembly, therefore, directed the state Chief Judge, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, to set up a seven-man panel to investigate the deputy governor.

This was when it dawned on Shaibu that the handshake has gone beyond the elbow. Same day, Shaibu in a spirited move to stop the impeachment proceedings, approached a Federal High Court, Abuja and filed an ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/321/2024, to restrain the Assembly, the Chief Judge, Governor Godwin Obaseki, from taking further action on the impeachment process pending the determination of the substantive matter before the court.

Represented by his counsel, Prof Olawoyin Awoyale (SAN), the state number two citizen sought an order of the court to restrain the state House of Assembly, the Speaker and the Clerk from commencing any process by holding proceedings or setting up any panel of investigation for his removal, pending the hearing of a motion on notice.

However, Justice James Omotosho, in his ruling on March 13, 2024 refused to grant the application.

But following the proceedings of Wednesday, March 20, 2024, Shaibu, requested for the status quo to be maintained by parties pending the hearing and determination of his motion on notice.

Again, Justice Omotosho declined the request, saying “the governor of Edo State and the Edo State House of Assembly who are the principal actors in the matter have not been served with the originating summons of the suit as required by law.”

The judge, however, granted the application by the deputy governor seeking to serve the process on the Edo State Governor and the state House of Assembly by substituted means.

Justice Omotosho, also ordered that the court process be pasted at the entrance of the Edo State Government House and the gate of the state House of Assembly Complex in Benin City.

He further directed that all court papers be served on parties in the matter with the use of a registered courier company before adjourning the matter till April 15, 2024 for hearing.

Unfortunately on Friday, March 22, 2024, the State Chief Judge, Justice Daniel Okungbowa constituted a seven-man panel to investigate allegations against the Deputy governor.

He said the move was part of part of the impeachment processes initiated by the state house of assembly.

A statement endorsed by the Chief Registrar of the Court, B. O. Osawaru with reference number CR/4837/Vol. II/131 dated March 22, 2024, said the panel is headed by retired Justice S. A. Omonua.

The statement named other members of the panel to include, Prof. Theresa Akpoghome, Mr. Oghogho Ayodele Oviasu, Dr. Andrew Oliha, Mr. Idris Abdulkareen, President Aigbohian and Marian Erahkoba Ilavbare

According to the statement, “The Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, has constituted a seven-member panel to investigate the allegations contained in the impeachment notice against Edo State deputy governor, RT . Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu.

“The Edo State lawmakers had on Tuesday mandated Justice Okungbowa to set up a seven-man committee to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct brought against him.

“The panel, which is in accordance with section 188(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), is headed by retired Justice S. A Omonua. Others are Prof. Theresa Akpoghome, Mr. Oghogho Ayodele Oviasu, Dr. Andrew Oliha, Mr. Idris Abdulkareen, President Aigbohian and Marian Erahkoba Ilavbare

The above scenario has made some political commentators to believe that the days of the deputy governor appear numbered. Some observers are of the opinion that Shaibu is left with two options; to resign honourably or get impeached. Some others are still looking at divine providence as a way out.

Already, his political camp has been thrown into confusion. More so as the panel set up by the state Chief Judge began sitting after its inauguration on Monday, March 25, 2024.

But in a dramatic twist before the inauguration, two members of the panel declined to serve. They are Prof. Violet Aigbokhavbo and Prof. Boniface Onomion Edegbai, who gave no reason for their refusal to serve. They were immediately replaced by two lawyers namely President Aigbohian and Mariam Erakhaba Ilavbare.

That notwithstanding, the political harmony that existed between Obaseki and Shaibu before things fell apart has gone for good no matter the outcome of the panel’s sitting.