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Controversy erupted late Tuesday following conflicting reports on the Court of Appeal’s decision regarding the impeachment of Philip Shaibu, the Deputy Governor of Edo State.
Initial reports suggested that the Court of Appeal had upheld the decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which quashed Shaibu’s impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly.
According to the earlier reports, the appellate court affirmed Justice James Omotosho’s ruling, which voided Shaibu’s impeachment for lack of fair hearing and ordered his reinstatement to office.
The court also reportedly set aside the appointment of Omobayo Godwins as the new Deputy Governor.
However, the Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Charity Aiguobarueghian, refuted the reports, describing them as false and misleading.
Despite this, Shaibu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) celebrated the purported ruling, with Shaibu expressing gratitude to God, the people of Edo State, and Nigerians.
He hailed the judgment as a victory for democracy and the judiciary.
The APC also welcomed the judgment, emphasizing that it highlighted the insensitivity of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration and its disregard for due process and the constitution.
A press statement by the state publicity secretary of the APC, Peter Uwadiae-igbinigie said, “This victory is a testament of the insensitivity of Governor Godwin Obaseki to due process and absolute regard to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which he swore to uphold.
“The APC Edo state chapter is proud that today, the Deputy Governor of the state has found it worthy to trace his political fame back to the party which has helped to galvanized and repositioned him as an icon of modern democracy which he has doggedly and gallantly fought for in Nigeria.
“While you journey through the remaining part of your tenure as an APC Deputy Governor, the party offers its sincere accolade of support and encouragement to doing that which you are well known for, that is upholding the genuine tenet of democracy which is sacrosanct in civilized climes.”
But Aiguobarueghian told Vanguard that “There was a suit instituted by Shaibu during the impeachment process to stop it, the case was before Justice Egwuatu, while the matter was ongoing, he was impeached and the new deputy governor applied to strike out the case that as deputy governor he is not interested in pursuing a case.
“Philip Shaibu went and filed a motion asking that his name as Philip Shiabu should be used instead deputy governor of Edo State, he also asked that the case should be converted from originating summons to writ of summons, the court granted both applications so it was that motion that the court granted that we went to the Court of Appeal for, it was an interlocutory appeal, we went to the Court of Appeal to challenge that order changing the name to Philip Shaibu, while all these were going on, he filed another suit in his own name and that suit was taken to the court of Justice Omotosho and Justice Omotosho on the 17th of July now declared him winner in the later suit that was filed in his name and Edo State House of Assembly filed an appeal against that judgment, the Attorney General of Edo State also filed another appeal against that judgment.
“All three appeals came up today (Tuesday) and we now withdrew the interlocutory appeal against Justice Egwuatu’s ruling, it is that ruling that he is now saying he won, meanwhile that ruling did not declare him the deputy governor.
“Against that substantive suit that Justice Omotosho declared him winner, the appeal processes were served on him in court today and he has five days to reply and we were given another five days to reply to his response. That is when the suit will now be taken and a decision will not be taken. The decision has not been taken on the impeachment case.”
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