Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu

The Edo State House of Assembly has impeached the state’s deputy governor, Philip Shaibu. The impeachment occurred during the house’s plenary session on Monday in Benin City, the capital of Edo State.

The decision to impeach Shaibu followed the adoption of the report of a seven-man committee appointed by the chief judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, to investigate allegations of misconduct against the deputy governor.

Shaibu’s impeachment came amidst ongoing legal proceedings, as a Federal High Court in Abuja was scheduled to resume sitting on a lawsuit filed by Shaibu to challenge the Edo State House of Assembly’s plan to impeach him.

Last week, the Edo House of Assembly initiated impeachment proceedings against Shaibu, with twenty-one out of the twenty-four lawmakers signing a petition. The allegations against Shaibu include perjury and disclosing the state government’s secrets.

During the plenary session last Tuesday, the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, informed lawmakers that the seven-day ultimatum given to Shaibu to respond to the impeachment notice had expired. Agbebaku noted that the impeachment notice was served on Shaibu on March 6, 2024, and due to his alleged evasion of service, the assembly ordered a substituted service.

The substituted service was published in the Nigerian Observer and the Vanguard Newspapers on March 12, 2024. With March 19, 2024, marking the end of the seven days, the Majority Leader of the Edo House of Assembly, Charity Aiguobarueghan, moved a motion directing Justice Okungbowa to set up a committee to probe the petition against Shaibu.