Probe: Suspended Ijebu East LG Chairman Loses as Court Dismisses Application

James Sowole in Abeokuta

An Ogun State High Court sitting in Ijebu Ode has dismissed an ex-parte application filed by the suspended Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government, Mr. Wale Adedayo, which prayed the court to stop further investigations and actions by councilors of the council probing him on allegations of financial mismanagement.

In its ruling on the ex-parte that was argued by O. T. Are, standing in for A.M. Kotoye (SAN), on behalf of Adedayo, the presiding judge, Justice A.A. Omoniyi, dismissed the application in “its entirety.”

Councilors of Ijebu East Legislative Council recently suspended the chairman in continuation of investigations on alleged financial malpractices and directed the vice chairman of the council to take over pending the conclusion of its investigation.

But Are prayed for an interim order that would restrain the defendants, their agents, privies from proceeding on the letter of invitation to the claimant asking him to appear before the Legislative Council on September 14, 2023, or in the alternative to order parties to maintain the status quo.

In its ruling, the court noted that the application by the plaintiff was not timely since he had received a notice on August 31, 2023, of the said resolution but waited till September 11, 2023, before filing his application.

The judge said, “delay defeats equity.”

The claimant was ordered to put the defendants on notice and come back for the hearing of the originating summons on September 22, 2023.