Governor Obaseki Locks Shaibu Out of Office Despite Reinstatement By FHC

Governor Obaseki has continued to lock Shaibu out of office despite reinstatement by FHC.

 

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Philip Shaibu remains locked out of office as deputy governor of Edo State despite a recent order for his reinstatement by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

 

The court had nullified his April 8, 2024 impeachment by the State House of Assembly and ordered his reinstatement.

 

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Shaibu in a statement on August 12 announced that he had resumed office in line with the court’s ruling

But two weeks later, the deputy governor appears holed up in his Benin Government Reservation Area residence waiting to be assigned responsibility by Governor Godwin Obaseki.

 

The state government had dismissed Shaibu as an impostor, saying it had, in conjunction with the State House of Assembly, applied for a stay of execution of the FHC’s judgment, and filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal accordingly.

The state’s Communication and Orientation Commissioner, Chris Nehikhare said Chief Godwins Omobayo remains the deputy governor of the state.

He said:” The issue of his purported reinstatement is still active in court, and the next hearing for the two separate motions filed by the State Government and the Edo House of Assembly, challenging the purported reinstatement by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court is fixed for 24 September 2024.

 

“The state, through the Attorney-General of Edo State, and the Edo House of Assembly by their lawyers, Oluwole Iyamu, SAN, and Ken Mozia, SAN, respectively, had in the motions sought an order for a stay of the execution of the purported reinstatement and an order suspending the judgment and restraining Shaibu from parading himself or attending any official function as deputy governor, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.

 

“Therefore, the status quo is that His Excellency, Omobayo Marvelous Godwins, remains the deputy governor of Edo State, and any correspondence carried out by any other person, including Philip Shaibu, is an act of impersonation, and anyone who deals with him does so at his or her own risk.”