The Federal Excessive Court docket in Abuja will as we speak (Monday) resume sitting within the lawsuit filed by the Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, difficult the transfer by the state Home of Meeting to question him.
Justice I. E. Ekwo had on March 28 adjourned until April 8 (as we speak) for the defendants within the go well with to look earlier than him to point out trigger why Shaibu’s prayer to halt the impeachment proceedings shouldn’t be granted.
Nonetheless, the seven-man impeachment panel headed Justice Omonuwa (retd.) ended its sitting on Friday after Shaibu failed to look earlier than the panel that probed allegations of perjury and leaking of the federal government’s secrets and techniques towards him.
The panel, which had its inaugural sitting final Wednesday in Benin, ended its sitting on Friday with Shaibu or his counsel failing to point out up.
The panel had adjourned until Thursday for Shaibu to open his defence and when he didn’t present up, he was given Friday as the ultimate day to come back and defend the allegation towards him, which he didn’t do.
The Edo State Home of Meeting, which is the petitioner within the case, had on Wednesday opened and closed its case, paving the way in which for Shaibu to defend the allegations levelled towards him.
Counsel for Shaibu, Prof Oladoyin Awoyale (SAN), attended the Wednesday (the opening day) sitting however excused himself in the midst of the listening to after the panel refused his prayer to droop the proceedings pending the result of a lawsuit in Abuja.
The panel chairman, Justice Omonuwa, upheld the opposition to the suspension prayer by the Meeting, represented by its Deputy Clerk, Joe Ohiafi.
After Awoyale excused himself, Ohiafi went on to state the Meeting case towards Shaibu.
In his submission, the Deputy Clerk informed the panel that Shaibu leaked the Edo State authorities’s secrets and techniques within the affidavit he filed in assist of his go well with in Abuja. He stated Shaibu tendered paperwork regarding the State Govt Council’s assembly.
In keeping with Ohiafi, Shaibu violated the Oath of Secrecy he took and acted opposite to the provisions of Schedule 7 of the 1999 Structure.
At Friday’s sitting, the Meeting was represented by its Authorized Officer, N.U. Ibrahim, who appeared with two others.
Ruling on the event, the Chairman of the panel famous that “the panel adjourned sitting for the final time for as we speak (Friday) to permit the respondent to defend himself.
“The panel shall retire to go and write its report as required by the structure.”
A member of the executive workers of the panel, who pleaded anonymity, informed journalists current within the courtroom that the panel would ahead its report back to the Edo State Chief Justice, who arrange the investigative panel.
Nonetheless, The PUNCH gathered from a supply near the Home of Meeting that the lawmakers have been additionally ready for the report of the impeachment panel to get to the Meeting as quickly as potential.
The supply stated the Home was not ready to find out when the report would get to it because it was the Chief Decide, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, who arrange the panel independently.
“I can solely say that the Home of Meeting can also be ready for the report after the panel ended its sitting on Friday. It’s the Chief Decide who arrange the panel and the Home can not decide when the report will get to it,” the supply stated.
