Edo Deputy Governor Faces Impeachment threat, accused of leaking govt information

By Stephen Asaba-ase

The Congress news learned that on the 6th March 2024, Edo House of Assembly originated impeachment process against the state Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.

The House of Assembly members accused the deputy governor of perjury and leaking the government’s privy informations.

The notice of the impeachment process believed to birth this current tussle between Shaibu and his principal Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Meanwhile, there had been some dramatic tension between the deputy governor and the governor since last year when Shaibu made known his intention to join this year’s Edo governorship race.

The governor is believed to be supporting a former Chairman of Sterling Bank, Asue Ighodalo, who had now emerged as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the September 21, 2024 poll.

Ighodalo defeated Shaibu and nine other candidates at the governorship primary conducted on February 22 at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin.

Though Shaibu boycotted the primary and was declared the winner at a parallel primary, the PDP national leadership did not recognise him, since they have already issued Ighodalo a Certificate of Return as the valid winner of the primary.

“However ,the passed week Shaibu went to the PDP national secretariat in Abuja to request for his Certificate of Return, threatening to go to court, amid reconciliatory efforts by the party.

“On Wednesday, the Edo State House of Assembly announced the commencement of impeachment proceedings against Shaibu.

“The Majority Leader of the House, Charity Aiguobarueghian, who moved the impeachment process during plenary, said it was based on a petition dated March 5, 2024, signed by 21 out of the 24 members of the House.

“The petition against the deputy governor came in on March 5 and was signed by 21 out of the 24 members. The number of members who signed the petition was more than the two-thirds requirement stated in the constitution,” Aiguobarueghian said.

The Majority Leader said the claims in the petition is based on perjury and disclosure of government secrets.

“The Speaker of the House, Blessing Agbebaku, who signed the receipt of the petition, directed the Clerk of the House, Yahaya Omogbai, to commence the impeachment notice on the deputy governor.

Agbebaku gave the deputy governor seven days to respond to the notice of impeachment.

However, the Edo State registered Political Parties faulted the impeachment process against Shaibu.

In a statement by its Chairman, Dr. Samson Isibor, and the Secretary, John Isidhaome, called governor Obaseki to appear before the Assembly.

“As far as we are concerned, the Deputy Governor has not committed any impeachable offence or breached his oath of office.

“Edo people have the exclusive right to call for his impeachment if he done any grievous offence like corruption, misappropriation of public funds, among others,” the association said.