Politics
Fresh Dispute Greets Shaibu’s Resumption As Deputy Gov
Comrade Philip Shaibu, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, has resumed his duties after a Federal High Court’s ruling invalidated his impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly.
In a Monday video posted on his X handle, Shaibu instructed staff who had not returned to work following his reinstatement to resume immediately or face repercussions.
He also issued a warning to banks, declaring that all transactions with the Deputy Governor’s Office conducted without his consent are illegal.
Related News: Edo Assembly Impeaches Deputy Gov Shaibu
Shaibu reaffirmed that his return is in compliance with the Nigerian Constitution, stating, “In adherence to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, I announce my official resumption to office.”
He added that the court’s judgment confirmed that his office had remained occupied throughout the dispute.
In response, Governor Godwin Obaseki has accused Shaibu of impersonation and advised the public to disregard him.
He said, “It has come to the attention of the Edo State Government that the former Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, has been carrying out correspondence with different institutions and organisations both within and outside the State in a clear case of impersonation.”
The Edo State Government, through a statement from the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, reiterated that Shaibu is not the legitimate Deputy Governor and warned that any correspondence from him in that capacity should be disregarded as forgery.
He stated that the matter of his alleged reinstatement remains under judicial review, with the next hearing for the two motions filed by the state government and the Edo House of Assembly against his purported reinstatement scheduled for September 24, 2024.
He emphasized that the current status quo designates Omobayo Marvelous Godwins as the legitimate Deputy Governor of Edo State. Any correspondence from individuals other than Godwins, including Philip Shaibu, is considered impersonation.
He also urged security agencies to be vigilant for potential breaches of peace and to hold Philip Shaibu accountable for any security issues arising from his actions.
In response to the governor through his media office, Shaibu stated that the matter of his alleged impeachment had been resolved by the court.
He highlighted that the court had ruled that the Office of the Deputy Governor was never vacant, declaring the actions of the State House of Assembly and the state government as illegal, null, and void.
Shaibu said, “To be clear, the court judgment that reinstated Comrade Shaibu as Deputy Governor was declarative and must be abided by (obey before complain). The judgment perpetually restrained the state government and its agents from preventing His Excellency from performing his duties as the only Deputy Governor of the state.
“As it stands, Mr. Marvellous Omobayo Godwins is the impersonator here and liable to contempt of the court order. Besides, the judgement had barred even the governor from interfering with his duties as Deputy Governor.”
However, he advised Nehikhare and state government representatives to await the court’s decision on their “purported request” for a stay of execution, which is set to be heard on September 24, 2024.
Politics
Edo Deputy Gov, Omobayo Ordered To Court Over Refusal To Vacate Office
A Federal High Court in Abuja has mandated that Godwins Omobayo, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, appear in person on November 26, 2024, following allegations of contempt of court stemming from his failure to comply with a previous ruling.
Justice James Omotosho issued the order on Monday, asserting that Omobayo, described as the alleged contemnor, must be afforded a fair hearing in accordance with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
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The court action was initiated by Philip Shaibu, who was reinstated as Deputy Governor after the court invalidated his impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly on July 17.
Justice Omotosho ruled that the impeachment proceedings lacked due process and that the grounds for Shaibu’s removal did not constitute gross misconduct.
Shaibu’s suit targets several parties, including the Inspector-General of Police and the Edo State House of Assembly, seeking enforcement of the court’s judgment and demanding that Omobayo vacate the deputy governorship position.
Omobayo assumed office on April 8, following Shaibu’s impeachment.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Omobayo was served legal documents but failed to appear.
In response, Shaibu’s attorney, Ayotunde Ogunleye, SAN, urged the court to compel Omobayo’s attendance, citing the need to uphold judicial authority.
In delivering his ruling, Justice Omotosho adjourned the case until November 26 for further proceedings.
He directed that hearing notices be served to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th defendants involved in the charge.
“In the interest of justice and to provide the alleged contemnor with an opportunity to defend himself and receive a fair hearing, in accordance with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), I hereby order that the alleged contemnor appear in court in person on November 26, 2024,” the judge stated.
It is noteworthy that the current tenure of the state government is set to conclude on November 12.
Politics
Presidency Fires Back At Atiku
On the heels of the salvo fired by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria’s 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, signalling what might be a long-drawn hot exchange of words, the Presidency has made what it called ‘our initial response to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’.
This was contained in a statement put out on micro-blogging site, X, Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy), Bayo Onanuga.
The former vice president had detailed the shortcomings of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, making efforts to detail what he would have done differently, that would have better results for Nigeria.
In a swift response, the Presidency countered that Atiku and his ideas “were rejected by Nigerians in the 2023 poll”, based on his antecedents.
The statement reads, “OUR INITIAL RESPONSE TO ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR
“We have just read a statement credited to former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in which he tried to discredit President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform programmes while pushing his untested agenda as a better alternative.
“First, Alhaji Atiku’s ideas, which lacked details, were rejected by Nigerians in the 2023 poll.
“If he had won the election, we believe he would have plunged Nigeria into a worse situation or run a regime of cronyism.
“Abubakar lost the election partly because he vowed to sell the NNPC and other assets to his friends. Nigerians have not forgotten this, nor would they be comforted by Atiku’s antecedents when he ran the economy in the first term of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government between 1999 and 2003.
“As vice president, Atiku supervised a questionable privatisation programme. He and his boss demonstrated a lack of faith in our educational system, and both went to establish their universities while they allowed ours to flounder.
“Talk is cheap. It is easy to pontificate and deride a rival’s programmes even when there are irrefutable indices that the economic reforms yield positives despite the temporary difficulties.
“Despite the futile attempt to hoodwink Nigerians again in his statement, it is gratifying that the former Vice President could not repudiate the economic reforms pursued by the Tinubu administration because they are the right things to do.
“His advocacy for a gradualist approach only showed that he was not in tune with the enormity of problems inherited by President Tinubu.
“It is so easy to paint a flowery to-do list. It is expected of an election loser.
“President Tinubu met a country facing several grave challenges. Fuel subsidies were siphoning away enormous resources we could ill afford, and there was criminal arbitrage in the forex market.
“No leader worth his name will allow these two economic disorders to persist without moving to end them surgically.
“While advocating for gradual reforms may sound appealing, Tinubu took measures that should have been taken decades ago by Alhaji Abubakar and his boss when they had the opportunity.
“Alhaji Abubakar calls for empathy and a human face to reforms. We have no problem with this as it resonates well with our administration’s focus. President Tinubu has consistently emphasised the need for compassion and protection of the most vulnerable.
“The administration has prioritised social safety nets and targeted support for those affected by recent economic transitions.”
Politics
APC Secures All 13 Chairmanship Seats In Nasarawa LG Elections
In a sweeping victory, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has claimed all 13 chairmanship positions in Nasarawa State’s local government elections.
The announcement was made late Sunday evening by Barr. Ayuba Usman, Chairman of the Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission (NASIEC).
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The election, held on November 2, covered leadership roles across Nasarawa’s 13 local government areas and 147 electoral wards.
APC emerged dominant, winning 140 out of the 147 available councillorship seats, while the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) took seven seats combined. SDP secured five councillorship seats, while ZLP won two.
Usman provided a detailed breakdown of the APC chairmanship vote counts across the local government areas, with notable tallies in Lafia (217,573), Karu (146,450), Obi (93,486), and Nasarawa (96,358).
Reflecting on the election process, Usman described it as peaceful and well-participated.
He commended voters for their commitment to democratic principles, noting that despite a general trend of voter apathy in some areas, a communal consensus strengthened turnout.
Usman attributed the election’s success to a well-executed awareness campaign by NASIEC, collaboration with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), and the effective deployment of security agencies to maintain public order.
Additionally, he cited the role of technology in streamlining the process, which he said contributed to the election’s efficiency and transparency.
The participation of 14 political parties underscored widespread confidence in the electoral process.
According to Usman, NASIEC remains committed to upholding democracy through free, fair, and credible elections in Nasarawa State.
Of the seven councillorship seats not won by APC, SDP secured four in Nasarawa-Eggon and one in Keffi, while ZLP took two seats in Doma.
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