Parliament

Impeachment: Ondo Assembly withdraws appeal against deputy governor

The Ondo State House of Assembly, on Thursday, withdrew the appeal against the deputy governor of the state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, at the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja.

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja had, on September 26, restrained the Ondo State Governor, the State Chief Judge, the House of Assembly, its Speaker, and others from proceeding with their planned impeachment of Aiyedatiwa pending the determination of a pending motion on notice for interlocutory injunctions.

But the Speaker and the House, on October 3, 2023, filed an appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/1073/2023.

At the resumed hearing on Thursday, the counsel for the applicants, Remi Olatubora, SAN, announced to the court that the parties in the matter have found a political solution to the issue.

Olatubora said: “The parties have found political solution to their problem and on the part of the parties we have come to effect the instruction.

“They have signed ‘Amistad’ agreement and on behalf of the appellants, we are here to enforce our part by withdrawing this appeal.

“The instruction was given to us by the speaker and we have filed a notice of withdrawal dated November 29, 2023.”

Other counsels in the matter told the court that they have been served with the notice and have no objection.

Subsequently, a three-member panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani dismissed the appeal.

Aiyedatiwa had in a motion on notice marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1294/2023, sued the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Department of State Services (DSS), the governor of Ondo State, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Chief Judge of Ondo State, and the House of Assembly before Justice Emeka Nwite of Federal High Court in Abuja.

He had sought an order of interim injunction restraining Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, his appointees, or privies from harassing, intimidating, embarrassing, and preventing him from carrying out the functions of his office as deputy governor of the state.

Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling, adjourned the suit indefinitely because an appeal had been entered at the Court of Appeal regarding the issue by the speaker and the state’s assembly.

He also refused to grant Akeredolu and the speaker’s request to strike out or dismiss the suit for lack of jurisdiction.

The judge held that it would be wise for the court to adjourn the matter “sine die” pending the outcome of the appeal to avoid judicial rascality.

However, President Bola Tinubu recently waded into the months-long crisis between factions loyal to Governor Akeredolu and his deputy.⁣

Tinubu met with the deputy governor, representatives of Akeredolu, federal and state lawmakers in Ondo State, officials of the state’s chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and other stakeholders in the state at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The Star