The Edo State House of Assembly has initiated impeachment proceedings against Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu, accusing him of perjury and leaking government secrets.
The impeachment notice marks the latest development in the ongoing rift between Shaibu and Governor Godwin Obaseki, with tensions escalating since Shaibu declared his intention to contest the Edo governorship race.
Governor Obaseki is reportedly backing former Sterling Bank Chairman, Asue Ighodalo, as the gubernatorial candidate for the upcoming September 21, 2024, election. Ighodalo emerged victorious in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary, defeating Shaibu and other contenders.
Despite boycotting the primary and being declared the winner at a parallel event, Shaibu’s victory was not recognized by the PDP national leadership, leading to a Certificate of Return being issued to Ighodalo.
In response, Shaibu visited the PDP national secretariat in Abuja, demanding his Certificate of Return and threatening legal action. Meanwhile, the Edo State House of Assembly announced the impeachment proceedings against Shaibu, based on a petition signed by 21 out of 24 members, alleging perjury and disclosure of government secrets.
The Majority Leader of the House, Charity Aiguobarueghian, confirmed the commencement of impeachment proceedings during plenary, stating that the petition met the constitutional requirements for action.
Speaker Blessing Agbebaku directed the Clerk of the House to serve the impeachment notice to Shaibu, granting him seven days to respond.
Efforts to obtain Shaibu’s response were unsuccessful at the time of reporting. However, the Conference of Registered Political Parties in Edo State criticized the impeachment proceedings, asserting that Shaibu had not committed any impeachable offense or breached his oath of office. They called on Governor Obaseki to intervene and rein in the Assembly’s actions.
