Victory as court nullifies ex-Imo deputy governor's impeachment 8 years after removal

Victory as court nullifies ex-Imo deputy governor's impeachment 8 years after removal

- Jude Agbaso has been finally vindicated by the court

- In a ruling on Monday, his removal as the deputy governor of Imo state in 2013 was nullified

- The judgement vindicating Agbaso was passed 8 years after the Imo House of Assembly removed him over alleged corruption

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The impeachment of Jude Agbaso as the deputy governor of Imo state has been nullified by the court, with the judgment coming after 8 years.

In a ruling on Monday, February 15, a presiding judge at the Owerri high court ruled in favour of Agbaso who was the deputy to a former governor of the state, Rochas Okorocha.

On March 28, 2013, the Imo state House of Assembly had impeached Agbaso over an allegation that he collected N458 million and red label drink as bribes from a construction firm, J- pros, The Punch reports.

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Victory as court nullifies ex-Imo deputy governor's impeachment 8 years after removal
On Monday, the court nullified Jude Agbaso's impeachment 8 years after he was removed from office by the House of Assembly. Credit: Sir Jude Agbaso
Source: Facebook

Justice I. S Opara, however, said that gave the consent judgment on Monday since the parties affected had opted to settle óut of court.

Reacting to the court judgement, counsel to Agabso, Chijoke Emeka, disclosed that the consent judgment had nullified the impeachment of his client as the deputy governor of the state.

Meanwhile, Agbaso, in a reaction to the ruling, said he felt elated to be “vindicated” eight years after he was accused of being involved in fraud.

The former deputy governor said he was framed up by Okorocha so that he could have his way.

He said:

“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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In a related development, Legit.ng reported that Fred Udogu, a caretaker committee chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi state, was sacked by the court.

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In a judgment on Wednesday, February 10, the PDP committee headed by Udogu was also declared illegal by a Federal High Court sitting in Abaliki, the Ebonyi state capital.

Nnachi Okoro, a legal counsel to the Onyekachi Nwebonyu-led PDP executive in Ebonyi state had filed a case before the court in November 2020 seeking the dissolution of the Udogu-led faction.

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Rahaman Abiola is a result-oriented journalist and content writer with a firm grip of over 5-year corporate experience stranding diverse roles in digital & traditional media and social media communication.

A published literary writer, freelancer and public commentator, he has written over 100 essays covering diverse issues on economy, politics and current affairs, entertainment and leadership published in virtually all notable Nigerian national dailies and digital media in Nigeria.

He is a graduate of English Literature, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Follow him on Twitter via @ShugabanR.

Source: Legit.ng

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Rahaman Abiola (Editor-in-Chief) Rahaman Abiola is an award-winning journalist and Editor-in-Chief with over 8-year experience. He holds a degree in English & Literature from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria (2015). He's a recipient of the Mile Media Award, Kwame Karikari Fellowship. His works have appeared in Punch, The Nation, Tribune, The Cable, Sahara Reporters and others. rahaman.abiola@corp.legit.ng