On Wednesday, a Federal High Court in Abuja witnessed a tense exchange as two lawyers entered appearances on behalf of the Edo House of Assembly in a contempt charge against Godwin Omobayo, the former deputy governor of Edo State.
The proceedings commenced before Justice James Omotosho, who presided over the case. Ayotunde Ogunleye, SAN, represented the reinstated Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu. Following Ogunleye’s announcement, the newly appointed Attorney-General of Edo State, Samson Osagie, declared his appearance for the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th defendants, which include the Deputy Governor, the Attorney-General, the Speaker of the Edo House of Assembly, and the House of Assembly itself.
Tension escalated when Osagie mentioned the Assembly as the 6th defendant, prompting Ken Mozia, SAN, to interject. Mozia asserted that he had been representing the Assembly and questioned Osagie’s right to announce his appearance on behalf of the Assembly without prior notice.
In response, Osagie contended that, as Attorney-General, he had no documentation indicating that the Assembly was currently being represented by Mozia. He noted that the only communication he received from the state’s liaison office was the notice for the hearing.
Mozia countered Osagie’s claims, suggesting that if Osagie wished to take over the representation, he should follow the proper legal procedures.
After considerable debate between the two legal representatives, Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter until March 11, allowing the lawyers time to resolve the issues surrounding representation.
While Shaibu was present in court, Omobayo did not attend the proceedings. Justice Omotosho had previously ruled on July 17, 2024, that Shaibu’s impeachment by the Edo House of Assembly was invalid, ordering his reinstatement.
The court found that the Assembly had failed to adhere to due process during the impeachment proceedings and determined that the allegations against Shaibu did not meet the legal threshold for gross misconduct.
The case, marked as FHC/ABJ/CS/478/2024, saw Shaibu suing several officials, including the Inspector-General of Police, the current Deputy Governor, the Attorney-General, the Chief Judge of Edo, the Speaker of the Edo House of Assembly, and the Assembly itself.
Omobayo had been sworn in as the new deputy governor on April 8, following Shaibu’s impeachment. However, following the court’s ruling reinstating Shaibu, Omobayo reportedly refused to vacate the deputy governorship, leading to the contempt charge filed by Shaibu.
