The Supreme Court this morning affirmed that Joshua Chibi Dariye remains the governor of Plateau State. This follows a ruling on the appeal filed against an earlier court of appeal ruling. The appeal court had on 8 March ruled that the governor, who was impeached by four out of the 24-member house was not properly removed from office.
The appeal court thereafter ordered the immediate reinstatement of Dariye as governor and that all his paraphernalia of office be returned to him. But the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Michael Dapialong, appealed against the ruling.
However, while delivering judgement on the appeal this morning, a seven-man panel of Supreme Court justices led by Justice Samuel Walter Onnogen ruled that constitutional procedures were not properly followed in the removal of Dariye on 18 November, 2006.
The judgement was unanimous.
Commenting on the ruling, an Action Congress (AC) chieftain Ambassador Yahaya Kwanda, described it as a landmark and victory for democracy.
He maintained that even though Dariye may have been cheated for about six months, the decision of the judiciary to ensure legal procedure and constitutional provisions are followed to the letter is a source of hope for Nigerians.
“What matters now is not whether Dariye is going to stay for a day or a month but the morality behind the judgement which upheld the widely held view that the Plateau State governor was not properly removed,” he said.
Immediately after the ruling, there was jubilation by supporters of Dariye in the court premises.
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