Ondo Assembly shuns APC and resumes impeachment process against Aiyedatiwa

In spite of attempts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership to mend the political division in Ondo State, the State Assembly has sent a new letter to Justice Olusegun Odusola, the state chief judge, requesting the formation of a committee to look into the charges of egregious misconduct against Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the deputy governor.
Recall that in order to settle disputes between Aiyedatiwa, the State Assembly, and Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje established a very capable panel.

However, the House stated that the impeachment process began again when the Federal High Court’s ex parte injunction expired in a letter signed by Speaker Olamide Oladiji.

“Request to establish a seven-member panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, following the expiration of the Federal High Court’s interim injunction in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1294/2023 by operation of law,” read the letter’s title.

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The letter said, in part, that the Ondo State House of Assembly had, in accordance with Section 188(5) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), on October 3, 2023, requested Your Lordship to form a seven-member panel to look into the charges of gross misconduct leveled by the House against the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.

“Your Lordship acknowledged and cited Section 188 (10) of the Constitution in a reply letter dated October 6, 2023. This section says, in part, that “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.”

But until the ex parte decision issued by the Abuja Judicial Division of the Federal High Court on September 26, 2023, prohibiting you from assembling the panel was either revoked or overturned, your hands would remain constrained, according to Your Lordship’s opinion.

But given the explicit language of Order 26 Rule 10 (2) & (3) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019, and the information and legal counsel available to the House, the aforementioned order has either expired or been superseded by the operation of law.

The order in question has expired due to legal processes, and Your Lordship acknowledges that this no longer stands in the way of Your Lordship carrying out the fundamental constitutional duty entrusted to your office by virtue of Section 188(5) of the Constitution, which is to assemble the seven-member panel.

“As a result, the 10th Ondo State House of Assembly hereby requests that Your Lordship promptly assemble the panel.”

Remember that the House had halted the deputy governor’s impeachment proceedings due to the intervention of the APC’s national leadership?

During the meeting in Abuja with prominent members of the APC, including National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, the Speaker declared that the House has put a halt to the impeachment process.

The House then demanded that Aiyedatiwa withdraw all of the lawsuits that were brought against Akeredolu and the MPs.