Two professors, Violet Aigbokhaebo and Boniface Onomion Edegbai, have declined to serve on the seven-member panel to investigate the allegations levelled against Edo State Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu, as contained in the March 6 impeachment notice by the 24-member House of Assembly.
They have been replaced.
Edo Chief Judge, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, Monday constituted another panel, in line with Section 188 (5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), reports The Nation.
The Chief Registrar of Edo High Court, Mr. B. O. Osawaru, in a statement said the panel would still be headed by Justice S. A. Omonua (rtd.).
Other members of the new panel include Prof. Theresa Akpoghome, Oghogho Ayodele Oviasu, Dr. Andrew Oliha, Idris Abdulkareen, President Aighokhian and Mariam Erakhoba Ilavbare.
On March 22, the chief registrar, in a statement, gave the names of the other members of the panel as 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 chief judge to constitute the seven-member panel.
Shaibu’s impeachment: Edo Assembly directs CJ to raise seven-member panel to probe petition
Shaibu, at the Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, through an ex-parte motion, urged the court to restrain the House of Assembly, the 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, equally joined Edo State Government, Speaker and Clerk of the House of Assembly, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector-General of the Police (IGP).
Federal High Court, 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 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.
