Edo govt. accuses Shaibu of impersonation deputy governor

The Edo Government has accused Philip Shaibu of impersonating as the state’s deputy governor.

The Edo State House of Assembly removed Mr Shaibu from office on 8 April over allegations of gross misconduct. He was promptly replaced with Marvellous Omobayo.

But Mr Shaibu has been laying claim to the office after the Federal High Court in Abuja overturned his removal and reinstated him to office in July.

The state government, through the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, accused Mr Sahibu of impersonating Mr Omobayo as the deputy governor in a statement on Monday. The commissioner released the statement in Benin, the state capital.

The state government alleged that Mr Shaibu had been communicating with individuals and organisations, claiming to be the deputy governor.

Mr Nehikhare urged the public to disregard such correspondence from Mr Shaibu because the issue of his reinstatement as deputy governor was still in court.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Shaibu said the judgment that reinstated him was declarative and must be executed before any outcome of appeal against the verdict.

Mr Nehikhare said Mr Shaibu, for now, was not the Deputy Governor of Edo State and every correspondence from him in that regard should be disregarded and considered a forgery.

He also said Mr Shaibu’s assertion to be the deputy governor constitutes a “potential breach of peace”.

“Security agencies are, by this notice, alerted to the potential breach of peace and are urged to hold Philip Shaibu responsible for any security breach in the state arising from his ignoble actions,” Mr Nehikhare said.

According to him, the next hearing in the case is scheduled for 24 September.

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The commissioner noted that the state government and the Edo House of Assembly had filed motions challenging Mr Shaibu’s reinstatement by a Federal High Court judge in Abuja, James Omotosho.

He said the motions sought an order for a stay of execution and an order suspending the judgment, as well as restraining Shaibu from parading himself as deputy governor.

The commissioner reaffirmed that Mr Omobayo remained the state’s deputy governor and that any correspondence sent out by Mr Shaibu was an act of impersonation.

(NAN)