Edo: Court rules Shaibu impeachment illegal, reinstates Deputy Gov.

…As State Assembly appeals judgement

In a recent ruling, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has reinstated Philip Shaibu as the Deputy Governor of Edo State, overturning his earlier impeachment by the state assembly.

The court’s decision, delivered on Wednesday, deemed the impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly as unlawful, unconstitutional, and void. Justice Omotosho ruled that the impeachment breached the provisions of Sections 188 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

Alongside reinstating Shaibu, the court mandated that his salaries and allowances be paid from the time of his impeachment in April. It also issued a perpetual injunction preventing Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Edo State House of Assembly from obstructing Shaibu from performing his official duties. Additionally, the court directed Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun to restore Shaibu’s security details.

In response, the Edo State House of Assembly has appealed the court’s decision and filed for a stay of execution pending the appeal. This ruling follows a contentious few months since Shaibu’s impeachment, which came after allegations from the lawmakers of disclosing government secrets.

The impeachment was a result of the recommendation of a seven-member panel set up by the assembly, which found Shaibu guilty. Eighteen of the nineteen members present at the vote supported his removal, with only one abstaining.

Recall that following his removal, Shaibu criticised the impeachment as a threat to democracy, linking it to his political ambitions to contest the 2024 governorship election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He described the impeachment as a dangerous shift towards dictatorship.

Shortly after Shaibu’s dismissal, Governor Obaseki selected Omobayo Godwins, aged 37, to be his new deputy. Godwins was formally sworn in by Chief Judge Justice Daniel Okungbowa.

The ongoing dispute between Shaibu and Obaseki, which has involved a series of accusations, counterclaims, and legal battles, reflects their strained relationship, largely attributed to Shaibu’s gubernatorial aspirations. Shaibu had contested the PDP primary and declared himself the winner in a parallel poll, though businessman Asue Ighodalo was officially declared the party’s candidate.