Edo Chief Judge Justice Daniel Okungbowa has constituted a seven-member panel to investigate the allegations against Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu.
The allegations were contained in the March 6, 2024 impeachment notice by the 24-member House of Assembly.
Chief Registrar of Edo High Court, Mr. B. O. Osawaru, on Saturday morning, in a statement, with reference number: CR/4837/Vol. I/131, informed that the panel would be headed by Justice S.A. Omonua (rtd.)
Osawaru also revealed that constituting the panel was in line with Section 188 (5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
The other members of the panel include Profs. Violet Aigbokhaebo, Boniface Onomion Edegbai, and Theresa Akpoghome as well as Dr. Andrew Oliha, and Messrs. Oghogho Ayodele Oviasu and Idris Abdulkareen.
Edo lawmakers, on March 19, through a resolution by 19 of the 24 members, directed the CJ to constitute the seven-member panel.
Shaibu, at the Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, through an ex-parte motion, urged the court to restrain the Assembly, Chief Judge and Governor Godwin Obaseki from taking further action on the impeachment process, pending the determination of the substantive matter.
The motion, which was filed on March 18 by Edo Deputy Governor’s lead counsel, Prof. Oladoyin Awoyale, also joined Edo Government, Speaker and Clerk of the Assembly, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector-General of the Police (IGP).
FHC, Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotoso, directed that all parties be put on notice, and granted the requested substituted service, with the matter adjourned till April 15, 2024, for further hearing.
Obaseki, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is backing a Lagos-based lawyer, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, to succeed him on November 12 while Shaibu insisted that he remained the standard bearer of PDP in Edo for the September 21 governorship election.
