Court orders reinstatement of Shaibu as Edo Deputy Governor

In a significant legal development, the Federal High Court in Abuja has reinstated Mr. Philip Shaibu, the impeached Deputy Governor of Edo State, back to office.

The court’s judgment, delivered by Justice James Omotosho, declared Shaibu’s removal 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 ochestrated political vendetta.