Shaibu’s impeachment: Edo lawmakers direct CJ to set up seven-member panel to investigate petition

Members of Edo State House of Assembly on Tuesday, March 19, directed the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, to set up a seven-member panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct and perjury, among others, levelled against Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu.

Speaker of the Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, notified the lawmakers that the seven-day ultimatum given Shaibu to respond to the impeachment notice served on him on March 6 had expired.

Agbebaku claimed that in view of Edo deputy governor’s evasion of service of the impeachment notice, the House ordered substituted service in two newspapers.

The House majority leader, Charity  Aiguobarueghan, moved the motion asking the chief judge to put in place the seven-member panel, and it was seconded by the representative of Ikpoba/Okha constituency, Nicholas Asonsere.

Aiguobarueghan stated that the motion was in line with Section 188, Sub-sections 3 and 4 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The majority leader noted that failure of Shaibu to respond to the petition at the stipulated times was also in conformity with the provision of Section 188, Sub-section 3, stating that whether the public office holder responded or not, the lawmakers had a duty to perform.

In a voice vote, 19 of the 24 lawmakers voted in support of the motion, while being more than two-third of members of the Assembly.