Controversy erupted on Tuesday following conflicting reports regarding the Court of Appeal’s ruling on the impeachment of Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu. Initial reports suggested that the Court of Appeal had upheld the decision of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which nullified Shaibu’s impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly.
These reports indicated that the appellate court affirmed Justice James Omotosho’s earlier ruling, which voided Shaibu’s impeachment due to a lack of fair hearing and ordered his reinstatement as Deputy Governor.
Additionally, it was reported that the court set aside the appointment of Omobayo Godwins, who had been named as Shaibu’s replacement.
However, the Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Charity Aiguobarueghian, disputed these reports, calling them false and misleading. Despite this, Shaibu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) celebrated the supposed ruling. Shaibu expressed his gratitude to God, the people of Edo State, and Nigerians, hailing the judgment as a victory for democracy and the judiciary.
The APC also welcomed the purported judgment, criticizing Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration for its perceived disregard for due process and the constitution. In a press statement, Edo State APC Publicity Secretary, Peter Uwadiae-Igbinigie, emphasized that the ruling was a testament to Governor Obaseki’s insensitivity to due process and the constitution.
“The APC Edo State chapter is proud that today, the Deputy Governor has traced his political fame back to the party, which has helped to galvanize and reposition him as an icon of modern democracy,” Uwadiae-Igbinigie stated. “As you journey through the remaining part of your tenure as an APC Deputy Governor, the party offers its sincere support and encouragement to uphold the genuine tenets of democracy.”
However, Aiguobarueghian clarified the situation, explaining that the court proceedings had been misrepresented. He stated that Shaibu had initially filed a suit to stop the impeachment process, but after his impeachment, the new deputy governor moved to strike out the case, arguing that as the new deputy governor, he was no longer interested in pursuing it.
Shaibu then filed a motion to change the suit’s name from “Deputy Governor of Edo State” to “Philip Shaibu” and requested that the case be converted from originating summons to writ of summons, which the court granted.
The Edo State House of Assembly subsequently appealed this ruling, but during the appeal, the matter was further complicated by Shaibu filing another suit in his own name. Justice Omotosho ruled in Shaibu’s favor in this later suit, leading to an appeal by the Edo State House of Assembly and the Attorney General of Edo State.
Aiguobarueghian emphasized that the appeal process was still ongoing, and no final decision had been made on the impeachment case. He cautioned that the reports claiming victory for Shaibu were premature and misleading, as the substantive issues surrounding the impeachment were yet to be resolved by the court.
“All three appeals came up today (Tuesday), and we withdrew the interlocutory appeal against Justice Egwuatu’s ruling. It is that ruling that Shaibu is now claiming as a victory, but that ruling did not declare him Deputy Governor,” Aiguobarueghian explained. “The substantive suit where Justice Omotosho declared him the winner is still under appeal, and the final decision on the impeachment case has not yet been made.”
