The Edo House of Assembly, on Wednesday, commenced impeachment proceedings against the state’s Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.
The Majority Leader, Charity Aiguobarueghian (PDP Ovia North-East 1), who announced the impeachment notice, said a petition dated 5 March against Mr Shaibu, was signed by 21 of the 24 members of the legislature.
He added that the petition was based on perjury and the disclosure of government secrets.
Mr Aiguobarueghian noted that the number of members who signed the petition was higher than two-thirds which is required by the constitution.
Speaker of the House, Blessing Agbebaku (PDP-Owan-West), who acknowledged receipt of the petition, directed the Clerk of the House, Yahaya Omogbai, to serve the impeachment notice on the deputy governor.
Mr Agbebaku also gave the deputy governor seven days to respond to the notice of impeachment.
The move to impeach Mr Shaibu is apparently because of his insistence to contest for the 2024 governorship election in Edo against the wish of Governor Godwin Obaseki, who prefers another, Asue Ighodalo, to succeed him as governor.
Mr Ighodalo, a former banker, recently won the PDP governorship ticket in Edo while Mr Shaibu, through a parallel primary election in which he was a lone candidate, claimed he was the rightful candidate of the party.
Mr Shaibu was a strong political ally of Governor Obaseki until his (Shaibu) governorship ambition created the feud between both of them.
