How Certified True Copy Exposed Former Edo Dep Gov, Shaibu, in A’Court Judgment

•INEC presents updated voter register

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

The Certified True Copy (CTC) of yesterday’s Appeal Court judgement, might have exposed the lies told by the ousted former deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, about his impeachment.

The CTC revealed that the Court had granted the application by the Edo State House of Assembly to withdraw its interlocutory appeal after Shaibu was formally served the Appeal Court notice, after weeks of deliberate evasion.

But Shaibu had claimed that the Appeal Court had dismissed the appeal seeking to uphold his impeachment.

The appeal with case no: CA/ABJ/CV/645/2024 was presided by Justice Hamma A. Barka, Justice Usman A. Musale, and Justice Okon E. Abang, of the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja.

The application was granted in the absence of any objection to the application.

The CTC also confirmed that the bailiff had served the 2nd respondent, the Inspector General of Police on August 15, 2024.

According to the CTC, the counsel to the appellant (the Edo State House of Assembly), Olusegun Jolaawo, SAN, noted that, “We have filed a Notice of withdrawal of the appeal since we have another appeal before the court which will take care of the instant situation.”

In granting the application, the Court stated that “There being no objection, Appellants application seeking the withdrawal of this appeal is granted and by dint of 011 R6 of the rules of this court. Appeal with No. CA/AB)/CV/645/2024 is hereby dismissed.

The Edo State House of Assembly, had on Monday, April 8, 2024, impeached Philip Shaibu following the adoption of the report of the seven-man investigative panel set up by the State Chief Judge to probe allegations of misconduct against the former deputy governor.

The investigative panel set up the EDHA was headed by Justice S.A. Omonua (retd.) and probed Shaibu on allegations of perjury and leaking of government secrets, ending its sittings with the former deputy governor refusing to appear before the panel.

Shaibu was impeached by the vote of eighteen out of 19 members of the Assembly present at plenary, while one abstained from the headcount and voting process.

Justice J. K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had however faulted the impeachment of Shaibu.

The State Assembly immediately appealed the judgement and also filed a stay of execution on the judgement pending appeal.

Meanwhile, ahead of the September 21, 2024 governorship election in the state, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tuesday, presented the Certified True Copy of the updated Voter Register to political parties for the election.

Making the presentation, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, said Edo State following the updated Voter Register had 2,629, 025 intending voters.

He said the commission decided to issue the voters register to the political parties for the election in line with the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022 as amended

Onuoha revealed that prior to the recently Continuous Voter’s Registration (CVR) in the state, the total number of registered voters during the 2023 general election in Edo was 2,501,081.

Giving the breakdown, the REC explained that a total number of 119,206 were recorded during the last CVR in the state, and that while 8, 847 people transferred their voting centres  to Edo State, 109 voters transferred their voting centres out of Edo State.

“In line with Section 10(4) of the Electoral Act, 2022 as amended, today, we shall be giving you (political parties representatives), the Official Register of Voters in Edo State and this is the 10th item in the timetable and schedule of activities for Edo State,” he said.