Impeachment: Court orders Shaibu to join Speaker, new Edo Deputy Gov in suit

By Christiana Ekpa

Justice James Kolawole Omotoso of the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted permission to the impeached Deputy Governor of Edo State, Phillip Shaibu, to join the Speaker of the state assembly in his suit challenging his impeachment before the court.
The Judge also granted order to the former Deputy Governor to join his successor as a defendant in the suit.
Delivering ruling on Wednesday in a motion on notice filed by Shaibu, the Judge agreed with his counsel, Ayotunde Ogunleye SAN, that both the Speaker and the new Deputy Governor are necessary parties in the suit.
The Judge held that under Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution, the name of the Speaker features prominently in the impeachment process, hence, must be brought to court for order that would be made to legally bind on them.
Justice Omotoso dismissed the objections raised against the motion on notice by the Speaker and the Deputy Governor for being frivolous and without merit.
He subsequently invoked Order 17 Rule 1 of the Federal High Court and ordered that the Speaker and the Deputy Governor be joined in the suit.
The court also granted permission to the former Deputy Governor to amend his originating summons in the suit to reflect the name of the Speaker and the Deputy Governor as 9th and 10th defendantts in the case.
Meanwhile, hearing in the substantive suit has been fixed for June 3 based on the accelerated hearing ordered by the Judge.