Ondo assembly insists on deputy governor Aiyeditiwa’s removal
The Ondo State House of Assembly has requested that Justice Olusegun Odusola, the state’s chief judge, form a new panel to investigate claims of serious misconduct made against Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Olamide Oladiji, the speaker of the assembly, said the action was taken after a Federal High Court order that had initially prevented the lawmakers from pursuing the impeachment motion expired.
Oladiji stated that the Chief Justice claimed that Section 188(5) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) prohibited him from disobeying the aforementioned court order in his initial letter declining to form the panel.
He cited a letter from the state chief justice, saying he was forbidden from disobeying the court’s order due to the provisions of Section 188(10) of the Constitution.
Responding to the chief justice, Oladiji wrote in his letter: “Your Lordship, however, opined that until the ex parte order made on September 26, 2023, by the Abuja Judicial Division of the Federal High Court restraining you from setting up the panel was either vacated or set aside, your hands would continue to be tied.”
“However, from the facts and legal advice at the disposal of the House, the said order has now elapsed and/or become extinguished by the operation of the law, in view of the clear provisions of Order 26 Rule 10 (2) & (3) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019.
“Your Lordship would agree that the said order has elapsed by the operation of the law, and no longer constitutes an encumbrance for Your Lordship to discharge the sacred constitutional obligation placed on your office by virtue of Section 188 (5) of the Constitution to set up the seven-man panel.
“Consequently, the 10th Ondo State House of Assembly hereby calls on Your Lordship to kindly constitute the panel without any further delay.
Meanwhile, the state’s residents have decried the absence of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu since his return from a German hospital where he had sought medical care. Akeredolu is believed to have holed up in his Ibadan, Oyo State, residence, leaving his governance role to no one in particular.
