Edo Chief Judge Justice Daniel Okungbowa has constituted another seven-member panel to investigate allegations against Edo Deputy Governor Comrade Philip Shaibu.
The allegations were contained in the March 6, 2024 impeachment notice by the 24-member Assembly.
Chief Registrar of Edo High Court, Mr. B. O. Osawaru, in a statement on Monday with reference number: CR/4837/Vol. I1/131, informed the panel would still be headed by Justice S.A. Omonua (rtd.)
Osawaru also explained 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 new panel are: 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 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, at the Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, through an ex-parte motion, urged the court to restrain 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 government, Speaker and Clerk of the state’s House of 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 he remained the standard bearer of PDP in Edo for the September 21 governorship election.
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