Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has reinstated Philip Shaibu as the Deputy Governor of Edo State, reversing his earlier impeachment by the state assembly.
The court’s ruling, delivered on Wednesday, deemed the impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly as illegal and unconstitutional.
Justice Omotosho’s judgment highlighted that the impeachment process was conducted in gross violation of the Nigerian Constitution. Consequently, the court not only restored Shaibu to his position but also mandated the payment of his salaries and allowances retroactively from April, the month he was impeached.
However, the legal battle is far from over. The Edo State House of Assembly has responded by appealing the judgment of the Federal High Court and filing a motion for a stay of execution pending the outcome of the appeal. This move indicates the assembly’s intention to challenge the court’s decision and seek a reversal.
The controversy surrounding Shaibu’s impeachment dates back to about three months ago when the Edo State lawmakers impeached the 54-year-old deputy governor. This action was widely seen as the culmination of a protracted conflict between Shaibu and Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The lawmakers, following an investigation, accused Shaibu of disclosing government secrets, a charge that led to his impeachment.
A seven-member panel, constituted by the Edo State Assembly, conducted an inquiry and subsequently recommended Shaibu’s impeachment on these grounds. The assembly, in a plenary session, approved the panel’s recommendation with 18 out of 19 members present voting in favor of Shaibu’s removal. Only one member abstained from the voting process.
In the aftermath of his impeachment, Shaibu vehemently criticized the assembly’s decision, describing it as a threat to democracy in Nigeria.
“This is not just an attack on me as an individual but on the democracy that we hold dear,” Shaibu asserted.
He further argued that his impeachment was a politically motivated act aimed at undermining his ambitions to contest in the 2024 Edo State governorship election under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “An ambition that is a legal right to all citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he added.
In a swift response to Shaibu’s impeachment, Governor Obaseki appointed 37-year-old Omobayo Godwins as the new deputy governor. Godwins was sworn in by the Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, around 1:40 pm on the same day, signaling the administration’s intent to move forward despite the ongoing legal tussles.
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