Juliet Buna
The Deputy Governor of Ondo state, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has approached the state High Court, sitting in Akure, to stop the impeachment process initiated by the State House of Assembly against him.
In the suit number, Suit No. AK/348/2023, filed on Monday, by Mr Ebun Adegoruwa SAN, the embattled deputy governor, asked the court to stop the impeachment process against him pending the hearing and determination of the suit that he has filed in court.
This is pending the hearing and determination of the suit that he filed in court, just as he is yet to be served the letter of allegations of gross misconduct by the House of Assembly.
The state house of the assembly began the process of impeachment of the deputy governor, last week, as it wrote a letter to Aiyedatiwa, over an allegation of gross misconduct, while he was in office as an acting governor.
Defendants in the suit include the Ondo State Government, the Governor of Ondo State, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, the Ondo State House of Assembly, the Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly, Mr Olumide Oladiji, the Clerk of Ondo State House of Assembly and the Chief Judge of Ondo State.
Aiyedatiwa then sought orders of injunction to stop the House of Assembly from initiating, continuing or proceeding with the process of his removal from office as the Deputy Governor of Ondo State.
He also seeks an order to stop the Chief Judge of Ondo State from accepting or acting upon any request from the House of Assembly of Ondo State to set up any panel to investigate any acts of gross misconduct against the Deputy Governor.
In the originating summons, the deputy governor was seeking an ” injunction restraining the defendants and their agents, privies and representatives from interfering with, restricting, disempowering and/or preventing the claimant from discharging his constitutional duties and functions as the duly elected deputy governor of Ondo State in a joint and equal ticket with the governor of the Ondo State.
He also sought “an order forthwith reinstating/restoring the total rights and privileges attached or accruing to the office of the Claimant as duly elected Deputy Governor of Ondo State which include, but not limited to the restoration of all media aides and press crew attached to the office of the claimant as Deputy Governor of Ondo State.
Aiyedatiwa sought “an order setting aside any purported process or notice of any allegation of Gross Misconduct against the Claimant on the ground that such process or notice is a violation of Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”