The Edo State House of Assembly has taken legal action by appealing the judgement delivered by Justice J.K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
News About Nigeria reports that the judgement in question had set aside the impeachment of the state’s former deputy governor, Philip Shaibu.
In addition to the appeal, the State Assembly has also filed a motion for a stay of execution on the judgement, pending the outcome of the appeal.
This development comes after Justice Omotosho earlier today delivered a judgement voiding the impeachment of Philip Shaibu as the deputy governor of Edo State.
Omotosho, while delivering judgement in the suit, ordered that Shaibu be reinstated to office because the state House of Assembly failed to comply with due process in impeaching him.
Shaibu fell out with Governor Godwin Obaseki over his ambition to succeed his boss.
Despite Obaseki having his preferred candidate, Asue Ighodalo, Shaibu, and nine others contested against Ighodalo, who eventually picked the ticket.
After that, the Edo State House of Assembly impeached Shaibu on Monday, April 8, 2024, impeached Shaibu following the adoption of the report of the seven-man investigative panel set up by the State Chief Judge to probe allegations of misconduct against the former deputy governor.
The investigative panel that set up the EDHA was headed by Justice S.A. Omonua (retd.) and probed Shaibu on allegations of perjury and leakage of government secrets, ending its sittings with the former deputy governor refusing to appear before it.
Shaibu was impeached by the vote of 18 out of 19 members of the Assembly present at plenary, while one abstained from the headcount and voting process.
Recall that the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, had upon the impeachment of Shaibu picked Marvellous Omobayo as his deputy to complete his second tenure in office, which ends on November 11, 2024.
