Edo deputy gov, Shaibu failed to appear as panel ends sitting
By Osaro Isaac The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, failed to appear before the seven-man panel that probed allegations of perjury and leaking of the government’s secrets against him. The retired Justice S. A. Omonuwa-led panel, which had its inaugural sitting on Wednesday in Benin, the state capital, ended its sitting on Friday with Shaibu or his counsel failing to show up. 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 Edo State House of Assembly, which is the petitioner in the case, had on Wednesday 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 fi