Yesterday, a group of peaceful protesters comprising women, men, and youths gathered in Edo North Senatorial District to voice their opposition to the move to remove Deputy Governor Comrade Philip Shaibu.
Organized under the banner of the ‘Peace Movement and PDP Faithful’, the protesters held placards with messages such as “Shaibu is our next governor, no going back”, “No to impeachment of Edo Deputy Governor”, and “We want peace in Edo State.”
The protesters expressed their determination to mobilize members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other residents to work against Governor Godwin Obaseki’s anointed governorship candidate, Asue Ighodalo, if the Edo lawmakers continued with the plot to remove Shaibu.
Spokesman for the protesters, Gafata Emmanuel, called on the lawmakers to give peace a chance and halt the impeachment move.
Efforts are being made to resolve the matter, with leaders of the PDP across Nigeria intervening.
The impeachment move against Comrade Shaibu is said to be linked to a lawsuit he filed last year at the Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, which was later withdrawn for the sake of peace.
Allegations of not keeping official secrets and perjury have also been leveled against him.
Sources reveal that 21 out of 24 lawmakers, representing the ruling PDP and opposition parties, have signed the impeachment notice.
However, the deputy governor still has one loyalist among the lawmakers, Donald Okogbe, who refused to sign the notice.
According to sources, the lawmakers are determined to proceed with the removal of the deputy governor, citing Section 188, Sub-section (2a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Majority Leader Charity Aiguobarueghian, who championed the plot, stands by their decision.
Shaibu has been given seven days to respond to the petition against him and his Chief Press Secretary, Ebomhiana Musa, but has chosen not to react to the allegations at this time.
The situation remains tense as the fate of Deputy Governor Shaibu hangs in the balance, with both sides continuing to assert their positions.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
