Impeachment: Parties Knock Edo Assembly For Rejecting Court Summon On Shaibu

The Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP) has criticised the Edo State House of Assembly and Governor Godwin Obaseki for refusing to receive a Federal High Court summon against the impeachment of Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.

The coalition said the desperation of the state assembly to impeach the deputy governor despite pleas from well meaning Nigerians and religious bodies is disheartening even as the group reaffirmed its position that the deputy governor remains innocent of the trumped up allegations.

When asked if all the parties are party to the statement, chairman of CRPP, Dr Samson Isibor, said he signed the statement on behalf of all the parties.

However, a member of the LP in Edo State, who craved anonymity when contacted over the statement issued by the CRPP, said as much as LP are members of the coalition, they have decided not to get involved in the impeachment saga because they consider it an internal affair of the PDP.

“Yes we are aware of the statement by the chairman of the CRPP, Dr Samson Isibor. We consider it as an internal affair of PDP,” he said.

Attempts to get reaction from the PDP over the party’s position proved abortive as of press time.

However, Isibor, in his statement in Benin said, “Most disturbing is the rejection of the Federal High Court Summons delivered to the House of Assembly by the Federal High Court Bailiff who was harassed and chased out by the Assembly security men on the orders of the leadership of the Edo State House of Assembly.

“It is quite appalling that the lawmakers that supposed to honor a court summons should behave arrogantly, harassed and chased out a harmless Court Bailiff discharging his constitutional duty from one of the three arms of Government recognized by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria the act of the assembly is condemnable.

“The assembly failed to realize that the case is not a personal issue, Those who live in glass houses must not throw stones, if they believe in justice and fair play they should gladly honored the court summons and present their allegations against the Deputy Governor in an open court instead of displaying rascality.

A clean mind fears no Accusation.

“We had earlier affirmed the innocence of the Deputy Governor of any accusation level against him, rather it was witch hunting and political victimization of the highest order by Governor Obaseki because his Deputy dared come out to exercise his constitutional right to be voted for.”

The group however reiterated that everyone has a right to  exercise his or her  constitutional right to participate in any election, adding that Obaseki has no power to stop his deputy to vote or be voted for.