This was as the Edo State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, passed a resolution directing the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, to set up a seven-man committee to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct levelled against Shaibu.
At the plenary, 19 members out of the 24 members voted in favour of the resolution.
The House of Assembly commenced impeachment proceedings against Shaibu on March 5, accusing him of perjury and leaking the government’s secrets.
However, all efforts to physically serve him with the impeachment notice proved abortive as he was said to be out of the state. After it became clear that the notice could not be served on Shaibu physically, the House resolved to serve the notice by substituted means through three newspaper publications on March 12.
The impeachment move is believed to be the latest development in the rift between Shaibu and his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki. There had been an uneasy calm between the deputy governor and his principal since last year when Shaibu declared his interest to join this year’s Edo governorship race.
To stop his impeachment, Shaibu approached the Federal High Court in Abuja with a motion ex parte marked FHC/ABJ/CS/321/2024.
However, in a ruling dated March 13, which was sighted by our correspondent on Tuesday, Justice James Omotosho declined Shaibu’s prayers.
“The motion ex parte for interim injunction dated and filed 8th day of March 2024 is hereby refused,” the judge held.
The judge has, however, adjourned till today (Wednesday) for hearing in another motion ex parte brought by Shaibu seeking substituted service on the defendants due to his inability to serve them.
During the Tuesday plenary at the Edo State House of Assembly, the Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, notified the House that the seven-day ultimatum given to Shaibu to respond to the impeachment notice had expired.
Agbebaku said the impeachment notice was earlier served on the deputy governor on March 6, 2024, but due to the alleged evasion of service, the House ordered a substituted service.
He said the notice was published in the Vanguard newspaper on March 12, 2024, noting that by the counting March 19, 2024 (Tuesday) made it seven days.
The Majority Leader of the House, Charity Aiguobarueghan, moved the motion that the Chief Judge be directed to set up a seven-man committee to investigate the petition against the deputy governor.
Aiguobarueghan said the motion was in line with Section 188 (3) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution.
He said Section 188 (3) already took care of a situation where the notice of impeachment was not responded to within seven days.
According to him, the law stated that “whether he responds or not, the House has a duty to perform.”
Aiguobarueghan said, “That duty, as bestowed by Section 188 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that a motion be moved when it will be resolved that if the allegations are not denied is worthy of investigation.
“I am, therefore, moving a motion pursuant to Section 188 (3) and (4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that is designed not to be argued.
“That the notice served on the deputy governor, alleging gross misconduct, be sent for investigation and that the Speaker causes the Chief judge of the state to set up a seven-man committee to look into the allegations and report its findings to this House as soon as possible.”
The motion by the Majority Leader was seconded by the lawmaker representing Ikpoba Okha Constituency, Nicholas Asonsere.
In a voice vote, 19 members, which is more than two-thirds of the House, voted in support of the motion.
The Speaker, therefore, directed the Chief Judge to set up a seven-man committee to investigate the petition against the deputy governor.
But the Coalition of Registered Political Parties, Edo State, on Tuesday, urged the Assembly and Governor Obaseki to jettison the impeachment move against Shaibu.
The body stated this in a statement by its Chairman, Samson Isibor while reacting to the directive given by the Assembly to the Chief Judge, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, to constitute a seven-man panel for Shaibu’s impeachment.
“The CRPP was surprised that in spite of interventions of well-meaning Nigerians, including highly respected religious leaders and political leaders, appealing to Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Edo State House of Assembly members and leadership to exercise restraint and jettison their planned impeachment of the deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, they are unperturbed and are still going ahead to carry out their unpopular move to impeach the Deputy Governor.
“The Assembly failed to realise that the case is not a personal issue. Those who live in a glass house must not throw stones, if they believe in justice and fair play they should gladly honour the court summons and present their allegations against the Deputy Governor in an open court instead of displaying rascality. A clean mind fears no accusation.”
