THE impeachment of Phillip Shaibu in Edo State has made him the 17th deputy governor to be impeached since Nigeria’s return to civil rule in 1999, Daily Trust reports.
Pundits say these developments call for stronger constitutional backing for deputy governors in the country to reserve the sanctity of their offices and democracy as a whole.
Shaibu, who has been in a running battle with Governor Godwin Obaseki over his ambition to succeed him, was impeached by the Edo State House of Assembly over allegations of perjury and divulging Edo State government secrets.
He has been replaced by 38-year-old Omobayo Godwin, a development that observers believe is far from over due to the pending lawsuit instituted by Shaibu to stop the impeachment and the expected politicking as the state approaches its September 21 governorship election.
But Shaibu is not alone on the list of deputy governors that have faced the axe since Nigeria’s return to a democratic government in 1999.
Sixteen others, cutting across the six geopolitical zones, have also been impeached.
Observers noted that disagreements with their principals or alleged acts of insubordination have been common factors leading to their impeachments, highlighting the need for the roles of deputy governors to be properly defined in the constitution and the amendment of the impeachment procedures.
Other deputy governors that have been impeached within this period include Femi Pedro (Lagos), Iyiola Omisore (Osun), Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele (Lagos), Chris Ekpenyong (Akwa Ibom), Abiodun Aluko (Ekiti), Biodun Olujinmi (Ekiti), the late Garba Gadi (Bauchi), and Peremobowei Elebi (Bayelsa).
Additionally, Sani Abubakar Danladi (Taraba), Jude Agbaso (Imo), Sunday Onyebuchi (Enugu), Ali Olanusi (Ondo), Eze Madumere (Imo), Simon Achuba (Kogi), Rauf Olaniyan (Oyo), and Mahdi Aliyu Gusau (Zamfara) have also been impeached.
Among these, only the late Garba Gadi (Bauchi), Peremobowei Elebi (Bayelsa), Sani Abubakar Danladi (Taraba), Sunday Onyebuchi (Enugu), Ali Olanusi (Ondo), Jude Agbaso (Imo), Eze Madumere (Imo), Simon Achuba (Kogi), and Mahdi Aliyu Gusau (Zamfara) have successfully obtained court orders setting aside their impeachments.
Unfortunately, none of the removed deputy governors could go back to his or her office for some reasons. For instance, while Femi Pedro (Lagos) was later pardoned by the Lagos State House of Assembly, Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, in Lagos also insisted she resigned and was not impeached, but the Assembly maintained that she was impeached.
Biodun Olujinmi (Ekiti) contested her impeachment alongside her principal, Ayo Fayose, and briefly assumed the position of acting governor in Fayose’s absence before the federal government declared a state of emergency in the state and appointed a sole administrator. Aside from these, many deputy governors survived impeachment by a whisker after falling out with their principals.
The incumbent governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, was on the verge of being impeached during the health crisis of his late principal, Rotimi Akeredolu, which snowballed into a serious political crisis in the state.