Nigeria’s Federal High Court sitting in Abuja and presided over by Justice James Omotosho has reinstated Philip Shaibu as the Deputy Governor of Edo State, months after he was impeached by the state assembly.
In the Wednesday judgment, Justice Omotoso declared the impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly as illegal, unconstitutional, null, and void.
The court held that the said impeachment was in gross violation of the provisions of both sections 188 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Justice Omotoso held that the impeachment was in gross violation of the Constitution.
Apart from restoring Shaibu, the court also ordered that his salaries and allowances should be paid to him from April when he was impeached as the deputy governor of the state.
The court issued an order of perpetual injunction restraining Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Edo State House of Assembly from stopping Shaibu from performing the functions of his office.
Justice Omotosho also ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun to restore his security details.