Babatunji Wusu –
The State Assembly has sent a new letter to the state’s chief judge, Justice Olusegun Odusola, requesting that a panel be formed to look into the allegations of egregious misconduct against the deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, despite efforts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership to mend the political rift in Ondo State.
Recall that a high-powered panel had been established by APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje to settle disagreements between Aiyedatiwa, the State Assembly, and Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
However, the House claimed in a letter signed by the Speaker, Olamide Oladiji, that the impeachment procedure was resumed following the expiration of the Federal High Court’s ex parte decision.
The letter’s subject line said, “Request to constitute a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, following the termination by operation of law of the interim injunction of the Federal High Court in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1294/2023.”
The letter stated, in part: “In accordance with Section 188(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Ondo State House of Assembly had requested Your Lordship to constitute a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct leveled by the House against the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, on October 3, 2023.
Your Lordship acknowledged and cited Section 188 (10) of the Constitution, which reads in part, “No proceedings or determination of the House of Assembly or the panel or any matter relating to such proceedings or determination shall be entertained or questioned in any court. ”
However, Your Lordship stated that until the ex parte decision issued by the Abuja Judicial Division of the Federal High Court on September 26, 2023 prohibiting you from establishing the panel was either vacated or set aside, your hands would remain constrained.
“However, in light of the unambiguous terms of Order 26 Rule 10(2) & (3) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019, and based on the facts and legal advice available to the House, the said order has now passed the passage of time and/or has been extinguished by the operation of law.
“Your Lordship would concur that the aforementioned order has passed by operation of law and is no longer an obstruction to your ability to carry out the sacred constitutional duty imposed on your office by Section 188(5) of the Constitution to establish the seven-man panel.
As a result, “Your Lordship is hereby requested by the 10th Ondo State House of Assembly to kindly constitute the panel without further delay.”
Remember that the APC’s national leadership intervened, causing the House to halt the deputy governor’s impeachment proceedings.
At the meeting in Abuja with Abdullahi Ganduje, the national chairman of the APC, and other party leaders, the Speaker had already declared that the House had suspended the impeachment procedure.
The House then demanded that Aiyedatiwa drop all of the lawsuits she had brought against the MPs and Akeredolu.
