Following the commencement of an impeachment notice against deputy governor Philip Shaibu by the Edo State House of Assembly, the embattled deputy governor, who is currently having a running political battle with Governor Godwin Obaseki, has approached the court in Abuja to obtain a restraining order against the impeachment move.
The chief press secretary to the deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, Musa Ebomhiana, declined calls placed on his phone for reaction.
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However, a close source to Shaibu, who craves anonymity, said all the necessary legal papers were being filed at the time of filing this report to stop the state House of Assembly, the speaker, and the Edo State chief judge from going ahead with the impeachment.
Shaibu’s political ordeals at the hands of his boss, Obaseki, are not unconnected with his insistence on contesting the Edo 2024 governorship ticket against Obaseki’s political son and business ally, Asue Ighodalo. Ighodalo had penultimate week emerged the PDP governorship candidate at the party primaries in Benin.
The Edo State House of Assembly on Tuesday afternoon commenced impeachment proceedings against the state deputy governor, Philip Shaibu.
The majority leader, Charity Aiguobarueghian, who announced the impeachment notice during plenary, said the petition dated March 5 was signed by 21 out of the 24 members against the deputy governor.
Aiguobarueghian stated that the number of members who signed the petition exceeded the two-thirds requirement stipulated in the constitution.
He also announced that the petition was based on two grounds: perjury and the revealing of government secrets.
The speaker, Hon. Blessing Agbebaku, who acknowledged receipt of the petition, directed the clerk of the House, Yahaya Omogbai, to serve the impeachment notice on the deputy governor.
Agbebaku also gave the deputy governor seven days to respond to the notice of impeachment.