Reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo State Files N50 Billion Suit Against State Government
In a shocking turn of events, the reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has filed a N50 billion defamation and contempt of court suit against the State Government, Commissioner for Communication and Orientation Chris Nehikhare, and Crusoe Osagie, Special Adviser on Media Project.
According to a statement made by Shaibu to newsmen, the court judgment that reinstated him was declarative and must be abided by. The judgment also perpetually restrained the state government and its agents from preventing him from performing his duty as the only deputy governor of the state.
Shaibu also emphasized that the judgment added that the position of deputy governor by the relevant sections of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was never vacant.
When asked about the reasons behind the court judgment, Shaibu claimed that Nehikhare and Osagie were insisting that he remain impeached because they don’t read and study the court judgment before sending out their responses. He added that the judgment reinstating him was declarative and has to be carried out before an appeal over the matter could be heard, while the stay of judgment execution filed by the state cannot see the light of the day until the judgment is executed.
Furthermore, Shaibu announced that he has already instituted a N50 billion suit against the governor, Nehikhare, and Osagie for defamation, which will be served next week.
However, Shaibu also alleged that the gun attack against him was an assassination attempt orchestrated by the governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki. He denied the claim that he planned the attack that took the life of Inspector Akor Onuh at the exit of Benin Airport.
“I was taken aback by the attack. In the last one year, I have refused to call for a protest to avoid confrontation with the state government and their agents,” Shaibu said. “I can tell you that Thursday’s attack was planned by the state governor to assassinate me. The governor vowed to destroy me when I remained resolute to vie for the position of governor.”
Shaibu also questioned the motives behind the attack, saying, “They said I was the one who planned the attack, but I came in peacefully from Abuja to the state capital. Why were the armed thugs laying ambush for me? Were they expecting a visitor?”
The development has sent shockwaves across the state, with many residents calling for an end to the political violence and intimidation. The court case is expected to be a closely watched affair, with many expecting the ruling to have far-reaching implications for the political landscape of Edo State.
