GOVERNOR Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has stated that Philip Shaibu’s petition to halt impeachment proceedings against him is a preventative measure to allow him to switch parties while keeping his post as deputy governor.
Obaseki made a statement for the first time since Shaibu filed a lawsuit to prevent the governor from allegedly trying to impeach his deputy due to their unresolvable issues.
“There is no timetable yet for the Edo election, it will come later in the year. So, I believe that this action by him is just a pre-emptive move to get a court order to keep his position while he now moves to the other party to get the ticket.
“And I think it’s unfair on our party, it’s unfair on the state that we don’t need this sort of crisis and two our state is not being represented well locally and internationally. I have been getting calls from all over the world.
“It is rather sad that somebody who is part of an administration would do this to the administration he has been part of just because of his own personal ambition,” Obaseki said.
In his decision on Shaibu’s request on notice, Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted an interim order, asking the court to stop his principal’s attempt to force him out of his position.
Justice Mohammed instructed the parties to the lawsuit to uphold the status quo in his ruling.
The status quo order will remain in effect until the defendants are required to provide justification as stated in another court decision issued on July 27, 2023.
Justice Mohammed then ordered that the IGP, SSS, and Obaseki—who weren’t represented in court—be served with hearing notices and adjourned the hearing in the case until August 10.
