Benin, Nigeria
Philip Shaibu, the embattled deputy governor of Edo State has been impeached by the state house of assembly.
The impeachment was carried out on Monday during the House’s plenary session in Benin City, the Edo State capital, ending the move that began months ago following the deterioration of the relationship between Governor Obaseki and his deputy, Shaibu.
His 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.
During the plenary, the majority leader of the house, Charity Aiguobarueghian said the report of the seven-man judicial panel of inquiry presented to the Assembly had two findings and one recommendation.
Aiguobarueghian said that while the report of the panel was unable to establish the case of perjury levelled against the deputy governor, the panel found him guilty of disclosure of government secrets.
According to the report, the seven-man judicial panel of inquiry recommended that the deputy governor be impeached for leaking government secrets.
The Clerk of the House Yahaya Omogbai was asked to conduct a head count in determination of the number of lawmakers who voted for and against the impeachment of Shaibu.
Eighteen out of 19 members present at plenary voted for the deputy governor’s impeachment while one abstained from the headcount and voting process. The clerk announced that only 2/3 (16 members of the House) was needed to carry out the impeachment.
The speaker, Blessing Agbebaku led the assembly to uphold the outcome of the voting process and approved the recommendation of the seven-man panel which led to the impeachment of the deputy governor.
The speaker directed Omogbai to forward copies of the impeachment to Governor Godwin Obaseki for his assent.
