Finally the hurly burly is done after a sustained political battle in Edo State between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his Deputy, Philip Shaibu, leaving the latter broken hearted.
While the move has been on the front burner to the extent that Shaubi was removed from his initial office, the apply of the political impasse was his challenge against the Governor’s chosen candidate. This culminated in the former Deputy Governor ‘s present political dilemma.
The Edo State House of Assembly finally impeached the state’s embattled deputy governor Philip Shaibu.
According to reports, Mr. Shaibu was formally removed from the office as deputy governor during the house’s plenary session on Monday in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
Shaibu’s impeachment followed the adoption of the report of a seven-man committee set up by the chief judge of Edo State Justice Daniel Okungbowa to investigate allegations of misconduct against the deputy governor.
Monday’s impeachment comes as a Federal High Court in Abuja was to resume sitting in the lawsuit filed by Shaibu to challenge the Edo State House of Assembly’s plan to impeach him.
Last week, the Edo House of Assembly started the impeachment proceedings against Shaibu. Twenty-one of the 24 lawmakers signed a petition to that effect.
They accused Shaibu of perjury and disclosure of the state government’s secrets.
During its plenary last Tuesday, the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly Blessing Agbebaku told the lawmakers that the seven-day ultimatum granted Shaibu to respond to the impeachment notice served on him had expired.
The speaker reminded the lawmakers that the impeachment notice was served on Shaibu on March 6, 2024. But due to what he described as the deputy governor’s alleged evasion of service, the Edo House of Assembly ordered a substituted service.
Agbebaku said the substituted service was published in the Nigerian Observer and the Vanguard Newspapers on March 12, 2024. He said March 19, 2024, made it seven days.
The Majority Leader of the Edo House of Assembly Charity Aiguobarueghan then moved a motion that Justice Okungbowa be directed to set up a committee to probe the petition against Shaibu.
Obaseki, Shaibu Battle For Supremacy
Shaibu’s impeachment is a culmination of the political impasse between the deputy governor and his principal Godwin Obaseki.
The duo have been at loggerheads in recent months over Shaibu’s plans to contest the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary.
Obaseki had claimed that Shaibu was planning a “coup” to unseat him. The latter also accused his principal of trying to instigate the Edo State House of Assembly to impeach him.
Shaibu later contested the PDP governorship primary and declared himself a winner in a parallel election. However, businessman Asue Ighodalo was declared as the party’s flagbearer for the exercise coming up later in the year.
Meanwhile, only few Deputy Governors have survived impeachment onslaught by their Principle. They either get justice outside the office or through clemency. Only rare cases like Imp.State experience where the former Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere was able to quash his purported impeachment while still in the office.
