Obaseki poised to impeach Deputy, Shaibu indifference to court order

Indication has emerged that the governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki is allegedly set to disobey the pronouncement of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, which ruled last Friday that all parties in the suit before the Federal High Court Abuja maintain “Status Quo Ante Bellum”, pending the hearing slated for Thursday, 10th August, 2023.

Hon. Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court Abuja last Friday issued a temporary order stopping the move by the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, to impeach his Deputy, Phillip Shaibu.

Gentechnews gathered that there is plan to hatch his impeachment process against his deputy before the hearing date on the early hours of Monday, 7th August since the pending hearing of the suit is slated for Thursday, 10th August, 2023.

Recall that the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Phillip Shuaibu, approached a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to stop the commencement of an impeachment process against him. In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1027/2023, the Inspector General of Police; State Security Service; the Governor of Edo State; the Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, and the Chief Judge of Edo State are the first, second, third, fourth and fifth defendants respectively.

Shaibu is seeking an interlocutory injunction restraining the 3rd, 4th and 5th Defendants/Respondents or their agents from commencing an impeachment process against him.

Shaibu also prayed the court to restrain the governor of the state or other person acting on his order from harassing and preventing him from effectively discharging his duties as the deputy governor of the state.

In addition to the temporary order to maintain status quo ante bellum, in another ruling of the court made on July 27th, 2023, the defendants were directed to show cause. Without adherence to the pronouncements of the court, any impeachment process is deemed a fruitless adventure in the eyes of the law.