Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has nominated Omobayo Godwin for confirmation by the State Assembly as the new deputy governor.
Omobayo, 38, reportedly scheduled for sworn in at the Edo government house in Benin City, the state capital, in the next couple of hours.
Born on July 19, 1986, Omobayo hails from Akoko Edo LGA of the state.
The Edo State House of Assembly, on Monday, impeached the embattled state deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, following the adoption of the report of the seven-man investigative panel set up by the state Chief Judge to probe allegations of misconduct against Shaibu.
The panel was headed by Justice S.A. Omonua (retd.), and it ended its sitting on Friday after Shaibu failed to appear before it.
He was probed on allegations of perjury and leaking of government’s secrets.
The panel had adjourned till Thursday for Shaibu to open his defence, and when he didn’t show up, he was given till Friday to come and defend the allegation against him, which he failed to do.
The state assembly, which is the petitioner in the case, had opened and closed its case, paving the way for Shaibu to defend the allegations levelled against him.
Shaibu’s counsel, Oladoyin Awoyale, attended the Wednesday (the opening day) sitting but excused himself in the middle of the hearing after the panel refused his prayer to suspend the proceedings pending the outcome of a suit filed in Abuja by Shaibu challenging the impeachment move against him.
Omonuwa upheld the opposition to the suspension prayer by the Assembly, represented by its Deputy Clerk, Joe Ohiafi.
After Awoyale excused himself, Ohiafi went on to state the Assembly’s case against Shaibu.
In attendance at the House sitting were 20 members, including the Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, but 18 members voted for the impeachment while one member abstained.
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The deputy governor’s impeachment commenced with the Clerk of the House reading out Order 10-Presentation and consideration of the seven-man panel report of an allegation of gross misconduct against the deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, listed in the Assembly’s items for consideration.
Shortly after, the majority leader of the House, Charity Aiguobarueghan, representing Ovia North East 1, moved for the report to be considered.
His motion was seconded by the Minority Leader, Eric Okaka, Owan East.
Consequently, the Speaker assumed chairman of the committee of the whole House to consider the report after the Majority and Minority Leaders moved and seconded a motion to that effect, respectively.
