Seven Catholic organisations have risen against the Edo State House of Assembly plan to impeach the deputy governor, Philip Shaibu.
The groups yesterday wrote a letter to the speaker of the Assembly, Hon Blessing Agbebaku, to prevail on his colleagues to drop the impeachment move against Shaibu.
Some of the groups in the joint letter included Catholic Action Nigeria (CAN), Catholic Lawyers, Catholic Men Organisation of Nigeria (CMON), Catholic Women Organisation of Nigeria (CWON), Catholic Youth Organisation of Nigeria (CYON), Catholic Girls Organisation of Nigeria (CGON), Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria (CLCN) among others.
Presenting the letter to Agbebaku and some other principal officers of the Assembly, Mr Steve Apologun, who is the Benin provincial president of the CMO, on behalf of the groups, said there was need for peace in the state ahead of the September 21 governorship election.
The letter written from the Department of Church and Society, Catholic Secretariat, Abuja also urged the Edo lawmakers to take into cognisance how Shaibu was prevailed upon to withdraw all court cases about his impeachment by religious leaders led by the Archbishop of Benin City, Most Revd Augustine Akubeze when the impeachment saga first started last year which he said Shaibu complied with.
While appreciating the legislative roles of the members of the Edo State House of Assembly and their constitutional duties, they appealed for caution “to ensure that your legislative responsibilities are not perceived as a political witch-hunt against the deputy governor due to his political disagreement with the governor.”
