Shaibu is Edo deputy governor, Court of Appeal insists

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Shaibu

  • Warns anyone parading himself as Deputy Governor aside from Shaibu ‘ll face legal consequences

  • 2, 629,025 voters to elect next Edo governor – INEC

  • Urges politicians, supporters to eschew violence ⁣

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Tuesday affirmed the lower court judgment that reinstated Philip Shaibu as the Deputy Governor of Edo State.

The appellate court, while delivering judgment in the appeal brought before it by the Edo State House of Assembly, dismissed the appeal seeking to uphold Shaibu’s impeachment.

The court warned that any individual aside from Shaibu parading themselves as Deputy Governor would face legal consequences.

Shaibu was impeached on April 8, 2024, following the adoption of the report of a seven-man committee set up by the state Chief Judge, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, to investigate allegations of misconduct against him.

The House Majority Leader, Charity Aiguobarueghian, had said that while the report of the panel was unable to establish the case of perjury brought against Shaibu, the panel found him guilty of disclosure of government secrets.

Justice James Omotosho of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on July 17, voided the impeachment and ordered his immediate reinstatement.

Justice Omotosho held that the allegation on which the House of Assembly based the impeachment proceedings was untenable in law and constituted gross misconduct.

He ordered the Inspector General of Police to provide him with needed security to enable him to resume office and perform the functions of the office until the end of his tenure.

The court warned that any individual, aside from Shaibu, parading themselves as deputy governor would face legal consequences.

The court also set aside the appointment of Omobayo Godwin as the new deputy governor, replacing Shaibu.

Musa Ebomhiana, the Chief Press Secretary to Shaibu said last week that describing his principal as an impostor was an affront to the judiciary.

Recall that while reacting to Shaibu’s video on X.com, where he said he had resumed as the deputy governor of the state, after being reinstated by the court, the state commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, on Monday last week, said Shaibu was an impersonator.

However, in a statement on Tuesday, “Ebomhiana faulted Nehikhare’s claim.

He said, “Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, describing the state Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu as an impostor. To say the least, the statement, in its entirety is an affront to the judiciary, and a clear violation of a valid court order of July 17, 2024, as delivered by Hon Justice James Omotosho of the FCT Federal High Court.

“We also view it as an insult to the people of Edo State who overwhelmingly voted for the Godwin Obaseki/Philip Shaibu joint ticket in the governorship election of September 2020. It’s a known fact that the Edo people never voted for Marvellous Omobayo as their deputy governor. It’s also a known fact that in the eyes of the law, Omobayo is only a political appointee of Governor Godwin Obaseki who imposed him on the people of Edo State.

“So, Nehikhare should know, except if he wants to be mischievous, Omobayo is the impostor who should stop parading himself as the Edo State Deputy Governor because he was never voted for. Several times, brilliant minds in the judiciary have argued that filing a stay of execution on a declarative judgment of a competent court of law does not vitiate the execution of the court judgment. Both parties must obey the judgment, pending the determination of the stay of execution by the same court.

“However, we are not surprised by this brazen display of executive lawlessness and rascality by the Edo State Government. If the head is rotten, then what does one expect of the body itself? Obaseki is one governor who is well known for his disdain for the judiciary and flagrant disrespect for judicial pronouncements.

“Erroneously, he also believes that every man has a price. He was said to have boasted several times at various quarters that Omobayo remains his deputy governor until he serves out his term as Edo State Governor. Unfortunately, Governor Godwin Obaseki has behaved as if he is a law unto himself, especially since the July 17 court judgment which reinstated Rt Hon Comrade Philip Shaibu as Deputy Governor of Edo State after his purported impeachment by the State House of Assembly in April 2024.”

2,629,025 voters to elect next Edo governor – INEC

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission, on Tuesday, said that 2,629,025 voters will take part in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.

INEC’s Supervising National Commissioner for Edo, Delta and Cross River States, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, stated this at the commission’s office in Benin City at the presentation of voter registers for the election to the chairmen and representatives of the 16 participating political parties.

Gumus said, “In line with the Electoral Act, 2022, INEC must present the voter registers to the chairmen of the political parties, not later than 30 days before the election. We are trying to obey the law, and carrying out the 10th of the 13 activities scheduled for the Edo governorship election.

“Election should not be a do-or-die affair. If you do not win today, you may win tomorrow. Problems always erupt on election day. Politicians and their supporters in Edo State should eschew violence.

“INEC is ready for the governorship election in Edo State. We want the stakeholders to cooperate with the electoral commission to make the activities before, during and after the election seamless. I am giving an assurance that with the support of the security agencies, the election will be peaceful, free and fair.”

The national commissioner also urged Edo residents and other Nigerians to be proud of their motherland, and never to allow tribe or tongue to divide them, but to be ready to move the state and Nigeria forward.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Edo, Anugbum Onuoha, earlier reiterated that 2,501,081 voters were registered in the state for the 2023 general elections, while 173,048 persons were registered during the Continuous Voter Registration from May 27 to June 9, 2024, with 119,206 registrants, including persons who transferred their PVCs, were valid, thereby bringing the total to 2,501,081 eligible voters.

Onuoha also urged the eligible voters to collect their PVC at their wards’ registration centres between August 22 and 26, from 9 am to 5 pm daily, including the weekend, while the collection would be moved to the local government office of INEC between August 28 and September 8.

The REC said that campaigns would stop on September 19, while the governorship election would be held on September 21.

The Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council in the state, Greg Igbinomwanhia, who is also the state’s Chairman of People’s Redemption Party, commended INEC for carrying out activities of the election without hitch.

Igbinomwanhia added that the September 21 governorship poll in Edo State must not just be free and fair, but peaceful.

He urged the leaders and members of the political parties to shun violence so that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s successor would be elected without rancour.