COURT NULLIFIES IMPEACHMENT OF FORMER IMO STATE DEPUTY GOVERNOR, JUDE AGBASO AFTER EIGHT YEARS
An Owerri High Court has nullified the impeachment of the former deputy governor of Imo State, Jude Agbaso after eight years.
Mr Agbaso was impeached on March 28, 2013, by the members of the state House of Assembly on allegations of receiving bribes from a construction company during the Rochas Okorocha led administration.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice S.I Opara who presided the ruling said the defendant was not given a fair hearing on the matter, adding that the process that led to the impeachment of the former deputy governor was unconstitutional, null, and void as due process was not followed.
Justice Opara noted that in the eyes of the law the impeachment never occurred.
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The court, therefore, ordered the Imo state government to pay all entitlements and emoluments accrued to the former Deputy Governor from March 28, 2013, the date of impeachment till May 28, 2015, when his tenure as deputy governor was supposed to end.
Barrister Chijioke Emeka, the counsel to Mr Agbaso described the judgement as a triumph of the rule of law.
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Barrister Emeka noted that the impeachment case is the longest in the history of the country as the case panned for 8 years. He added that his client is now legally fit to hold public positions again.
Speaking to journalists, an elated Agbaso said he felt “vindicated.”
“It has been a torturous eight years but I thank the good people of Imo State. I thank the government of Senator Hope Uzodinma for its bold stand, which hastened the resolution.”
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