The political landscape of Edo State is once again under the spotlight following the impeachment of Deputy Governor Phillip Shaibu, marking him as the 17th deputy governor to be impeached in Nigeria since the country’s transition to democracy in 1999.
The Edo State House of Assembly, on Monday, removed Shaibu from office amid contentious allegations of perjury and leaking governmental secrets, intensifying the political drama within the state.
The impeachment reflects the deepening rift between Shaibu and Governor Godwin Obaseki, particularly over Shaibu’s ambition to succeed Obaseki.
This political strife culminated in Shaibu’s replacement by 38-year-old Omobayo Godwin, signifying a new chapter in Edo State’s governance but also opening the door to further political uncertainty.
Observers are keenly watching the unfolding scenario, especially with Shaibu’s legal challenge against his impeachment and the looming governorship election on September 21.
The situation is set against a broader national backdrop, where deputy governors’ impeachments have become a recurring theme in Nigeria’s political narrative since 1999, affecting various states across the six geopolitical zones.
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.
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