Edo State Chief Judge Sets Up Panel to Probe Deputy Governor
The Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, has constituted a seven-member panel to investigate the allegations leveled against the state’s Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, by the House of Assembly. The panel, headed by retired Justice S.A. Omonua, was formed in accordance with the powers vested in the Chief Judge by Section 188(5) of the 1999 Constitution.
The constitution of the panel is part of the impeachment process initiated by the assembly against the deputy governor. The panel members include legal and academic experts, such as Professor Violet Aigbokhaebo, Professor Boniface Onomion Edegbai, Professor Theresa Akpoghome, Oghogho Ayodele Oviasu, Andrew Oliha, and Idris Abdulkareen.
The impeachment process began when the state Assembly, with 19 out of 24 members in support, directed the Chief Judge to set up the panel. In response, Shaibu sought a restraining order from an Abuja Federal High Court to halt the process. However, the court, presided over by Justice James Omotoso, denied the request for an interim injunction and instead directed that all parties be served and the matter be heard on April 15, 2024. The parties joined in the motion include the Edo State Government, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Clerk of the Assembly, the Director General of the Department of State Security, and the Inspector General of Police.