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 the deputy governor, Philip 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 of government’s secrets.
However, all efforts to get the impeachment notice to him proved abortive as he was said to be out of the state.
After it became clear that the notice could not be served physically, the House served him the notice on March 12 through substitution (by publishing the letter in three national dailies).
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.
Earlier, Speaker of the House, Blessing Agbebaku, had notified his colleagues that the seven-day ultimatum granted the deputy governor to respond to the impeachment notice served on him has 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 substituted service.
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