The Deputy Governor initiated the lawsuit to contest the State House of Assembly’s impeachment proceedings against him.
Photo of Ondo State Deputy Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
Ondo Deputy Governor’s Bid to Halt Impeachment Hit by Court Decision
The efforts of Ondo State’s Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to thwart the impeachment proceedings initiated by the State House of Assembly faced a setback on a recent court ruling. An Akure High Court dismissed the lawsuit he had filed, challenging the Assembly’s move to impeach him.
Justice Oluyemi Akintan-Osadebay, in delivering the judgment, cited the need to prevent conflicting verdicts with an Abuja Federal High Court as the reason for the court’s decision. Justice Akintan-Osadebay further ruled that it constituted an abuse of the judicial process to engage in “forum shopping” by bringing the same case to both the Akure and Abuja High Courts.
Aiyedatiwa had initiated the legal action (Suit No. AK/348/2023) on September 25, 2023, to prevent the House of Assembly from proceeding with his impeachment. He had also filed a similar case at the Abuja Federal High Court, where he had secured an interim injunction on September 26, barring the House from impeaching him on grounds of alleged gross misconduct.
However, during the hearing of the suit (marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1294/2023) on Monday, the judge did not renew the interim injunction granted on September 26. Femi Emodamori, representing the House of Assembly, confirmed that the interim injunction had expired on October 10.
With the expiration of the interim injunction, the Chief Judge of Ondo State, Justice Olusegun Odusola, can now proceed with the establishment of the panel as directed by the House of Assembly.
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