…It’s victory for democracy and the rule of law — Shaibu
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has reinstated the impeached Deputy Governor of Edo State, Mr. Philip Shaibu back to office.
The court, in the judgment that was delivered by Justice James Omotosho, declared his purported impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly as illegal, unconstitutional, null, and void.
It held that the said impeachment was in gross violation of the provisions of both sections 188 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Aside from restoring him to office as the Deputy Governor, the court held that all his salaries, allowances, and benefits should be paid to him from April 8, when he was illegally impeached, until the expiration of his tenure.
The court issued an order of perpetual injunction restraining Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Edo State House of Assembly from stopping Shaibu from performing the functions of his office.
It also ordered the Inspector General of Police to immediately restore all his security details.
The court maintained that the reason the Edo Assembly gave for impeaching the plaintiff was lame and smacked of an orchestrated political vendetta.
In a statement issued to journalists on Wednesday, signed by Ebomhiana Musa, Chief Press Secretary to Comrade Philip Shaibu, Comrade Shaibu said: “For us, it’s a victory for democracy and the rule of law. The judiciary remains the last hope of the common man. For mere mortals who think they can play God in the lives of others, this judgement serves as a lesson. He appoints kings and kings as it pleases Him. Those who have ears, let them hear.
“For the statement hurriedly issued by the Hon Commissioner for Communication, Chris Nehikhare, we see it as an affront on the judiciary, a blatant attempt to ridicule the sound judgment delivered by the Honourable Justice Omotosho of the FCT Federal High Court. The statement smirks of arrogance of power on the part of the Edo State Government, by insisting that ‘nothing has changed, Omobayo remains the Deputy Governor’.”
The statement added that “Chris Nihikhare and his co-travellers should be reminded that power is transient, especially for them with less than four months to vacate office.”
