No fewer than 17 Deputy Governors have been booted out of office in the last 24 years.
Phillip Shaibu, sacked Deputy Governor of Edo State, became the 17th to be removed from office since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.
For Shaibu, it was a long trek to freedom and a long-drawn battle to remain afloat in Edo’s political space.
Over the years, some Deputy Governors have been impeached for political reasons that somehow amount to gross misconduct.
Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, provides for the removal of governor or Deputy Governor from office through the process of impeachment.
The process consists of a written allegation of gross misconduct against the accused person who has a right to defend himself. If his defence succeeds, he is expected to be left off the hook; if not, he is removed from office.
The said section 188 spells out in detail, the procedures and steps to be taken to consummate the process.
Here are Deputy Governors that have been impeached since 1999:
Femi Pedro (Lagos)
Iyiola Omisore (Osun)
Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele (Lagos)
Chris Ekpenyong (Akwa Ibom)
Abiodun Aluko (Ekiti)
Biodun Olujinmi (Ekiti)
Late Garba Gadi (Bauchi)
Peremobowei Elebi (Bayelsa)
Sani Abubakar Danladi (Taraba)
Jude Agbaso (Imo)
Sunday Onyebuchi (Enugu)
Ali Olanusi (Ondo)
Eze Madumere (Imo)
Simon Achuba (Kogi)
Rauf Olaniyan (Oyo)
Mahdi Aliyu Gusau (Zamfara)
Philip Shaibu (Edo)
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.
