The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has been issued an impeachment notice by the Edo State House of Assembly.
The House filed the notice on Wednesday, March 6.
Accordingly, the deputy governor is expected to respond within seven days.
An insider within the government has revealed that 22 out of 24 lawmakers have endorsed the impeachment notice, rendering Shaibu’s removal from office highly possible.
The Impeachment notice is the most recent development in the ongoing conflict between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his Deputy. The tension escalated since mid-last year, following Shaibu’s declaration of his gubernatorial ambitions for the state.
Backstory
In 2023, Philip Shaibu, Edo’s deputy governor, had alleged a plot to impeach him by the governor of the state, Godwin Obeseki.
Shaibu approached a court of law asking the court to ascertain whether the governor has the power to instigate the Speaker and the Chief Judge to commence impeachment proceedings against him to remove him from office on any ground other than allegations of misconduct as contained in section 188 of the 1999 Constitution.
- Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the federal high court Abuja issued the temporary order while ruling in a motion on notice filed by Shaibu praying the court to stop the move to ease him out of office by his principal.
- In the ruling, Justice Mohammed directed the parties in the suit to maintain the status quo.
- The order for the status quo is to be in force till the time the defendants show cause as directed in another ruling of the court made on July 27th, 2023.
- Meanwhile, the deputy governor later withdrew the case he filed against Obaseki.
- Last month however, Shaibu was elected winner of the gubernatorial race in a parallel primary election conducted in his residence in Benin City, the state capital.
- But Asue Ighodalo was announced the authentic winner of the PDP primary exercise which took place at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin, causing a fresh rift between Shaibu and his boss, Obaseki.
