A Federal High Court in Abuja has overturned the impeachment of Philip Shaibu, reinstating him as the Deputy Governor of Edo State.
Justice James Omotosho, in his ruling on Wednesday, declared the impeachment carried out by the Edo State House of Assembly in April as illegal and unconstitutional.
“The impeachment proceedings against Mr. Shaibu were in gross violation of the Constitution,” Justice Omotosho stated.
The court ordered that Shaibu’s salaries and allowances be paid retroactively from April when he was removed from office.
However, the Edo State House of Assembly has swiftly responded to the judgment. The Assembly’s spokesperson said, “We have filed an appeal against the High Court’s decision and submitted a motion for a stay of execution pending the appeal.”
The political drama began in April when the Edo State House of Assembly impeached Shaibu following an investigation into allegations of misconduct. The move was seen by many as the culmination of a long-standing conflict between Shaibu and Governor Godwin Obaseki, reportedly stemming from Shaibu’s ambitions to contest in the upcoming Edo Governorship election.
At the time of the impeachment, the Assembly spokesperson had said, “Eighteen out of 19 members present at the plenary voted for Shaibu’s impeachment, while one abstained from the process.”
The investigation panel, led by retired Justice S.A. Omonua, was tasked with probing allegations of perjury and leaking of government secrets against Shaibu. Notably, the former deputy governor did not appear before the panel during its sittings.
In the wake of Shaibu’s removal, Governor Obaseki had appointed Omobayo Marvellous Godwins as the new deputy governor to serve for the remainder of his second term, which ends on November 11, 2024.
