Philip Shaibu has rejected his removal as the deputy governor of Edo state, saying it’s a threat to democracy.
He was impeached earlier on Monday, April 8, 2024, by the Edo State House of Assembly.
The impeachment followed the adoption of the recommendation of a seven-man judicial panel led by Justice Stephen Omonua (rtd.)
Shaibu, who spoke in a video, described the impeachment as illegal, unlawful, null and void.
He said he was impeached because of his determination to contest the governorship election.
At plenary in Benin, the Majority leader of the House, Charity Aiguobarueghian, said the report of the seven-man panel presented to the House found Shaibu culpable of disclosure of government secrets.
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Aiguobarueghian further disclosed that though the panel was unable to establish the case of perjury against the deputy governor, it made two findings and one recommendation upon which the decision to impeach the deputy governor was anchored.
According to him, “the seven-man judicial panel of inquiry recommended that the deputy governor be impeached on ground of disclosure of government secrets.’’
During voting on the motion, 18 out of 19 members present at plenary voted for the impeachment of the deputy governor while one abstained from the head count and voting process.
The Clerk of the House, Yahaya Omogbai, conducted a head count of the lawmakers who voted for and against the impeachment of Shaibu.
The clerk said with the figure, the House stated that it met 2/3 (16 members of the House were needed to carry out the impeachment).
The Assembly upheld and approved the recommendation of the seven-man panel and thereafter impeached the deputy governor.
The speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, directed the Clerk of the House, Yahaya Omogbai, to forward copies of the impeachment to Governor Godwin Obaseki for assent.
Shaibu’s impeachment is a culmination of the political impasse between the deputy governor and his principal Godwin Obaseki.
The battle which witnessed several twists and turns, claims, counter claims, apologies, and court cases, was an offshoot of the duo’s tainted relationship owing to Shaibu’s plans to contest the Edo State governorship election billed for September.
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.
