The Edo State House of Assembly has served the deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, a notice of impeachment.
The House served the deputy governor the impeachment notice on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.
It was gathered that 22 lawmakers out of the 24 members of the House signed the impeachment notice making the eventual removal of Shaibu as the deputy governor of Edo State inevitable.
Shaibu, who has been in a rift with his principal, Godwin Obaseki, is expected to respond within seven days.
The deputy governor has since been at loggerheads with Obaseki over his ambition to succeed the governor in the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State.
Shaibu recently said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would not win the gubernatorial election in the state if he is not recognised as the governorship candidate of the party.
The former Chairman of Sterling Bank Plc, Asue Ighodalo, was declared the winner of the PDP primary election held in Benin, the state capital, on February 22, while Shaibu emerged as the candidate in another primaries held in a different venue.
The deputy governor, however, maintained that he remains the PDP standard bearer.
Shaibu stressed that he was elected by the authentic delegates of the party in Edo State, saying the people of the state do not want Ighodalo.
Obaseki had before the primaries said the PDP has the sole right to determine its candidate for the September 21, 2024, governorship election in the state.
The governor, who described his relationship with his deputy as cordial, said: “He wants to run for the office and he is free to do so and you know as a Nigerian, he has the constitutional right to run and nobody can or should stop him.”
Shaibu had earlier declared that nobody can stop him from contesting the gubernatorial election in the state.
The deputy governor added that he would contest the gubernatorial election on the platform of the PDP, saying: “Nobody can stop my ambition.”
Shaibu’s ambition has put him at loggerheads with Governor Obaseki, who is believed not to be disposed to his deputy taking over from him.
He, however, apologised to Obaseki and asked for the latter’s forgiveness if he had offended him unknowingly to enable them to finish well in office.
He also called on the governor to forgive him to develop the state together with him.
