Former Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, voided the impeachment of Phillip Shuaibu as the Deputy Governor of Edo State.
Justice Omotosho, while delivering judgment in the suit, ordered that Shaibu be reinstated to office because the Edo State House of Assembly failed to comply with due process in impeaching him.
Justice Omotosho also set aside the appointment of the new Deputy Governor who replaced Shaibu.
The court held that the allegation on which the House of Assembly based the impeachment proceedings was untenable in law and did not constitute gross misconduct.
He ordered the Inspector General of Police to provide him with needed security to enable him to resume office and perform the functions of the office until the end of his tenure.
Edo Assembly appeals judgment reinstating Shaibu as deputy gov
The Edo State House of Assembly has appealed the judgement by Justice J. K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which set aside the impeachment of the state’s ex-deputy governor, Philip Shaibu.
The State Assembly has also filed a stay of execution on the judgment pending appeal.
Earlier today, Justice Omotosho voided Shuaibu’s impeachment as the deputy governor of the state.
Omotosho, while delivering judgment in the suit, ordered that Shaibu be reinstated to office because the state House of Assembly failed to comply with due process in impeaching him.
He also set aside the appointment of the new deputy governor who replaced Shaibu.
Shaibu fell out with Governor Godwin Obaseki over his ambition to succeed his boss. Despite Obaseki having his preferred candidate, Asue Ighodalo, Shaibu and nine others contested against Ighodalo, who eventually picked the ticket.
After that, the Edo State House of Assembly, had on Monday, April 8, 2024, impeached 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 18 out of 19 members of the Assembly present at plenary, while one abstained from the headcount and voting process.
Recall that the state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, had upon the impeachment of Shaibu picked Marvellous Omobayo as his deputy to complete his second tenure in office, which ends on November 11, 2024.
Federal High Court affirms Ighodalo as PDP guber candidate
Ighodalo
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday upheld the nomination of Dr. Asue Ighodalo as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2024 Edo State gubernatorial election.
The court’s decision, delivered by Justice James Omotosho, came in a judgment on a suit marked CS/469/24. The court dismissed the case filed by Philip Shaibu, who had challenged Ighodalo’s nomination as the PDP’s candidate.
In its ruling, the court held that Ighodalo was duly nominated during the party’s primary election, which was held on February 22, 2024, at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City. Ighodalo emerged victorious, securing 577 votes to defeat Shaibu and 10 other aspirants.
The court further determined that the plaintiffs’ case lacked merit, as they failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove that Ighodalo had forged his voter’s card. Moreover, the court ruled that the action was statute-barred and consequently struck it out.
Punch/Vanguard