BREAKING: Edo Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu Impeached

Edo Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu has been impeached.

His impeachment was announced on Monday by the state assembly after the conclusion of the sitting on Friday.

This followed the submission of report and adoption by the seven-man investigative panel set up by the assembly to probe allegations of misconduct against the deputy governor.

Shaibu had shunned the sitting, explaining that the case was in court.

On Thursday, the panel headed by Justice S.A Omonuwa (retd.) issued Shaibu a last chance to appear the following day, to defend why he should not be impeached.

On Thursday, the panel headed by Justice S.A Omonuwa (retd.) issued Shaibu a last chance to appear the following day, to defend why he should not be impeached.

He failed to honour the panel summon on the last day.

His counsel, Professor Oladoyin Awoyale, SAN, had argued before the panel that the case was in court and pleaded that the panel shelve the sitting until April 8, when the state was slated for hearing.

But the chairman of the panel overruled him saying the job of the assembly was constitutional with no extant law forbidding it from carrying out its constitutional mandate.

The panel said in its reports that the allegation of perjury could not be substantiated against the deputy governor by the complainant while that of disclosure of government official documents was proved beyond reasonable doubt.

After consideration of the report, the speaker of the house, Blessing Agbabaku subjected it to voting. 18 members voted for impeachment out of 20 who attended plenary.

The speaker directed that a clean copy of the impeachment decision by the house be sent to the Governor, Godwin Obaseki for assent.