Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has reinstated Philip Shaibu as the Deputy Governor of Edo State, months after his impeachment by the state assembly.
In the ruling delivered on Wednesday, Justice Omotosho declared the impeachment illegal, unconstitutional, null, and void.
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The court found that the Edo State House of Assembly’s impeachment of Shaibu violated sections 188 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Consequently, the court ordered that Shaibu be restored to his position and that his salaries and allowances be paid retroactively from April, when he was impeached.
Furthermore, the court issued an order preventing Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Edo State House of Assembly from obstructing Shaibu in performing his duties.
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Justice Omotosho also instructed the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to reinstate Shaibu’s security details.
In response, the Edo State House of Assembly has appealed the judgment and filed a motion for a stay of execution pending the appeal.
The verdict comes three months after the assembly impeached Shaibu, accusing him of disclosing government secrets.
A seven-member panel recommended his impeachment, which was subsequently approved by 18 out of 19 assembly members present at the plenary session.
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Following his impeachment, Shaibu criticized the lawmakers, stating that the move was a threat to democracy and motivated by his ambition to contest the Edo State 2024 governorship election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He argued that his impeachment was a tactic to undermine his candidacy.
In the immediate aftermath of Shaibu’s removal, Governor Obaseki appointed 37-year-old Omobayo Godwins as his new deputy.
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Godwins was sworn in by the Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, on the same day.
The tension between Shaibu and Obaseki, stemming from Shaibu’s governorship ambitions, had been building for months, leading to various accusations, apologies, and legal battles.
Shaibu had declared himself the winner in a parallel PDP governorship primary, while businessman Asue Ighodalo was recognized as the party’s official candidate.
