After eight years, a State High Court sitting in Owerri the Imo capital has nullified the impeachment of former Deputy Governor of Imo State, Jude Agbaso.
The state House of Assembly had on March 28, 2013, impeached Agbaso as the deputy governor of the state on the allegations that he collected N458m and red label drink as bribes from a construction firm, J- pros.
Delivering the judgment on Monday, the presiding judge Justice S.I Opara said 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 added that the defendant was not giving a fair hearing on the matter before the impeachment was done.
While noting that in the eyes of the law the impeachment never occurred, the court however 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.
Reacting to the judgment the counsel to Former deputy governor, Barrister Chijioke Emeka says the landmark judgement is a triumph of the rule of law and once again the development has shown that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man.
He noted that the impeachment case is the longest in the history of the country as the case which started on April 30, 2013, ended after 8 years.
The former Deputy Governor Mr. Jude Agbaso who also reacted to the judgement said he feels elated that finally justice has been served as justice delayed is never justice denied.
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