By Chimaobi Afiauwa, Abuja
There appears to be no end to the political impasse in Ondo State over the impeachment saga against Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the state’s House of Assembly made a dramatic u-turn on Monday, resuming impeachment proceedings against the embattled deputy governor.
This dramatic twist of events comes after the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress brokered peace amongst the dramatis personae in the state through a reconciliation committee headed by a former governor of Katsina State, Mr. Bello Masari.
Following the intervention of the APC National Leadership, the state’s Assembly, through its Speaker, Mr. Olamide Oladiji, announced the suspension of the impeachment plan against the deputy after a meeting with the party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, in Abuja.
The Assembly, thereafter, asked Aiyedatiwa to withdraw all court cases against the House and the state’s governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.
But in what could be the resumption of hostilities, The Punch reports that the House of Assembly has written a fresh letter to the state Chief Judge, Justice Olusegun Odusola, to constitute a panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against Aiyedatiwa.
In the letter signed by Speaker Olamide Oladiji and made available to newsmen on Monday, the House said the impeachment process resumed after the expiration of the ex parte order of the Federal High Court.
The letter was titled, ‘Request to constitute a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, following the expiration of the interim injunction of the Federal High Court in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1294/2023 by operation of the law.’
The letter partly reads, “The Ondo State House of Assembly had on October 3, 2023, requested Your Lordship to constitute a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct leveled by the House against the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, in line with Section 188(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“In a reply letter dated October 6, 2023, Your Lordship acknowledged and quoted Section 188 (10) of the Constitution, which states 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.’
“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, given the clear provisions of Order 26 Rule 10(2) and (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 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, Aiyedatiwa’s lawyer, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), in a swift counter statement on Monday, reminded the Assembly of a court injunction from the Ondo State High Court in Akure advising the House and Aiyedatiwa to go and explore an amicable resolution of their disagreements.
