LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu who was removed from office on Monday, April 8, 2024 has vowed to challenge his impeachment and removal from office by the Edo State House of Assembly in court.
Mr Shaibu spoke via a recorded video posted on his X handle.
He said he is confident that the legal system will vindicate him and expose the sham that has been orchestrated against him
“I will not be deterred or intimidated by those who seek to subvert our democracy,” Mr Shaibu said on Monday while rejecting his removal, which he said was based on “trumped-up charges,” he stated.
Mr Shaibu described his removal from office as a “dangerous descent into dictatorship and threat to democracy”, adding that it was a plot “hatched because of his governorship ambition.”
He therefore rejected his removal.
READ ALSO: Edo House Of Assembly Impeaches Philip Shaibu
Mr Shaibu’s removal from office on Monday was the peak of his prolonged political feud with Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The lawmakers had accused the former deputy governor of perjury and disclosure of government secrets and asked the state chief judge to constitute a panel to investigate the allegations.
The panel, according to the majority leader of Edo State of the House of Assembly, failed to establish a case of perjury against Mr Shaibu but found him culpable of disclosing government secrets, prompting an overwhelming vote for his removal from office by the assembly on Monday.
Mr Shaibu, in his first reaction to the development, said the lawmakers betrayed the trust of the Edo people.
He said the allegations brought against him were meant to conceal the true motive behind this impeachment.
READ ALSO:Impeachment Notice Against Shaibu Unanimous Decision — Edo Speaker
“It is a flagrant abuse of power and betrayal of the trust that the people of Edo have placed in their elected officials.
“We refuse to stay inactive while our democratic institutions are exploited for personal gains. We will fight this injustice with every ounce of strength in our veins for the sake of the people of Edo State and the future of democracy.
“We cannot allow tyranny and oppression to take root in our society. We must resist the forces that seek to undermine our freedom and trample upon our rights.
“To the members of Edo House of Assembly who have chosen to forsake their Oath of Office in partake in this charade. History will judge harshly for your betrayal of the people to represent their interest,” Mr Shaibu said.