Shaibu Remains Edo State Deputy Governor, Court Rules

The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, has ruled that embattled deputy governor of Edo state, Philip Shaibu, should be reinstated.

Justice James Omotosho, who gave the ruling on Wednesday, averred that his purported impeachment by the state House of Assembly is illegal, unconstitutional, null, and void.

According to the court, the said impeachment was, among others, in gross violation of sections 188 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

Consequently, it ruled that all his salaries, allowances, and benefits should be paid to him from April 8, the date he was illegally impeached, till the expiration of his tenure.

In addition, the court issued an order of perpetual injunction restraining the governor, Godwin Obaseki and the Edo State House of Assembly from stopping him from performing the functions of his office, adding that the Inspector General of Police, should, without delay, restore all his security details.

According to the court, the reasons adduced by the state assembly for his impeachment are not only lame but also smack of an ochestrated political vendetta.

Affirms Ighodalo as PDP's validly nominated flag bearer.

Meanwhile, the same Federal High Court, FCT, also presided over by Justice James Omotosho, has ruled that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in the coming governorship election, Barr Asue Ighodalo, is the authentic and validly nominated flag bearer of the party.

In another Wednesday judgement, the court threw out the case filed by Philip Shaibu, seeking to disqualify Ighodalo as the validly nominated candidate of party.

However, the court ruled that Ighodalo was duly nominated during the February 22, 2024 party primary which took place at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.

It added that the case against his emergence lacked merit as the plaintiff failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove that Ighodalo had forged his voter’s card.

Among others it noted that the case was already statute-barred