Philip Shaibu Restored As Edo Deputy Governor By Federal High Court
•By Our Reporter
BENIN – A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, this morning reinstated Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu as the Deputy Governor of Edo State repealing his earlier impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly.
The Court presided over by Hon. Justice James Omotosho held that the removal of the Plaintiff, Shaibu from office as Deputy Governor of Edo State and the subsequent appointment of Omobayo Godwins as his replacement by the Governor of Edo State was illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.
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The Court held that there was a breach of the provisions of the procedure laid out in Section 188(1) to (9) in the way and manner the impeachment process was conducted.
The court noted that the ouster clause in Section 188(10) limiting the jurisdiction is not a stand alone provision.
The Court referred to the decision of the Nigerian Supreme Court in Inakoju v. Adeleke(2007). The court therefore ordered the 1st Defendant, the Inspector General of Police to immediately restore the security of the Plaintiff as Deputy Governor of Edo State.
At the time of filing this report supporters of the Plaintiff were seen within the court premises celebrating the court verdict. The court held the impeachment was politically motivates, because of his aspiration to contest the office of Governor of Edo State.
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Meanwhile, the Edo State House of Assembly has appealed the judgement by Hon. Justice J. K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which set aside the impeachment of the State’s former deputy governor, Philip Shaibu.
The State Assembly has also filed a stay of execution on the judgement pending appeal.
The Edo State House of Assembly, on Monday, April 8, 2024, impeached Philip Shaibu following the adoption of the report of the seven-man investigative panel set up by the State Chief Judge to probe allegations of misconduct against the former deputy governor.
The investigative panel set up the EDHA was headed by Justice S.A. Omonua (retd.) and probed Shaibu on allegations of perjury and leaking of government secrets, ending its sittings with the former deputy governor refusing to appear before it.
Shaibu was impeached by the vote of eighteen out of 19 members of the Assembly present at plenary, while one abstained from the headcount and voting process.
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Recall that the State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, upon the impeachment of Shaibu picked Omobayo Marvellous Godwins as his deputy to complete his second tenure in office, which lapses on November 11, 2024.