Breaking: Edo Assembly impeaches deputy governor, Philip Shaibu

The Edo State House of Assembly has impeached the state deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, on Monday.

This followed the adoption of the report of a seven-man investigative panel.

The panel was headed by Justice S.A. Omonua (retd.), and it ended its sitting on Friday after Shaibu failed to appear before it.

The panel was set up by the state Chief Judge to probe allegations of misconduct against Shaibu.

He was probed on allegations of perjury and leaking of government’s secrets.

The panel had adjourned till Thursday for Shaibu to open his defence, and when he didn’t show up, he was given till Friday to come and defend the allegation against him, which he failed to do.

The state assembly, which is the petitioner in the case, had opened and closed its case, paving the way for Shaibu to defend the allegations levelled against him.

Shaibu’s counsel, Oladoyin Awoyale, attended the Wednesday (the opening day) sitting but excused himself in the middle of the hearing after the panel refused his prayer to suspend the proceedings pending the outcome of a suit filed in Abuja by Shaibu challenging the impeachment move against him.