Abuja Court Reinstates Shaibu as Edo Deputy Governor, Sparking Tensions in Obaseki’s Camp; House of Assembly Seeks Stay of Execution, Government Insists Omobayo Remains in Office

In a dramatic turn of events, impeached deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, on Wednesday recorded a major victory against his political traducers in the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, as an Abuja Federal High Court quashed his April 8, 2024, impeachment by the state House of Assembly, describing it as illegal, unconstitutional, null, and void.
Sending shockwaves into the camp of Governor Godwin Obaseki, the government reacted swiftly in a statement by the commissioner for information and orientation, insisting that Marvellous Godwins Omobayo, whose appointment was set aside by the court, remained the deputy governor, while the state House of Assembly said it would appeal the judgement and had asked for a stay of execution.
Shaibu’s impeachment was sequel to the adoption of the report of a seven-man investigative panel set up by the state’s Chief Judge, Daniel Okungbowa, to probe allegations of misconduct against him. Eighteen out of the 20 members, present at plenary, including the Speaker, Blessing Agbebaku, had voted in favour of the embattled deputy governor’s impeachment, while one abstained. The panel, headed by a retired judge, Stephen Omonua, found Shaibu guilty of the offences of perjury and revealing official secrets.
However, the presiding judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, James Kolawole Omotosho, not only nullified the purported impeachment, but ordered that all Shaibu’s entitlements in terms of salaries and allowances from the day he was unlawfully removed from office, be paid to him until the expiration of his tenure. Omotosho also issued an order of perpetual injunction restraining Governor Obaseki and the state legislature from stopping Shaibu from performing the functions of his office and ordered the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to restore his security details to enable him resume office.
Justice Omotosho, who came down hard on the House of Assembly, submitted that the reason given for Shaibu’s impeachment was lame, and smacked of an orchestrated political vendetta. According to him, the said impeachment was in gross violation of the provisions of both sections 188 and 35 of the 1999 constitution, as amended.
But reacting to the development, a defiant state government said in a statement signed by the information commissioner, titled ‘Omobayo Marvellous Godwins remains Edo State Deputy Governor’, said he would continue to serve in this capacity and would be recognised as such.
The terse statement read: “Following the Federal High Court, Abuja judgement that faulted the impeachment of the erstwhile deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, the Edo State Government has filed a stay of execution of the judgement.
“Pending the hearing of the appeal of the judgement, the incumbent Deputy Governor, His Excellency, Omobayo Marvellous Godwins remains and continues to serve as the valid deputy Governor of Edo State. He will continue to serve in this capacity and would be recognised as such. The government hereby calls on the people of Edo State to remain calm and go about their lawful businesses”.
In a similar response to the court judgement, the state House of Assembly said it had also filed for a stay of execution on the judgement pending appeal.