Ondo Assembly Divided as 11 Lawmakers Dissociate Themselves from Aiyedatiwa’s Impeachment

Fidelis David in Akure

Eleven members of the Ondo State House of Assembly have dissociated themselves from a letter by the Speaker of the House, Oladiji Olamide, requesting the state Chief Judge, Olusegun Odusola, to constitute a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against the Deputy Governor of State, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, following the expiration of the interim injunction of the Federal High Court.

The directive, 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’, called on the CJ to constitute the panel without any further delay.

 However, in a statement jointly signed by the 11 lawmakers, they clarified that the letter came to them on social media as a rude shock as it did not emanate from any of the sittings of members of the State House of Assembly.

The lawmakers include Hon. Japheth Oluwatoyin, Hon. Jide Oguntodu, Hon. Tiamiyu Fatai Atere, Hon. Gbegudu Ololade, Hon Allen Oluwatoyin, Hon. Abitogun Stephen, Hon. Tope Komolafe, Hon. Afe Felix, Hon. Oladapo Biola, Hon. Fayemi Olawumi and Hon. Oshati Olatunji.

The lawmakers said that the decision to send such a letter to the Chief Judge by the Speaker is in the least, unwarranted and uncalled for. 

The statement read: “As members of the 10th Assembly of Ondo State House of Assembly, we wish to inform the public and the good people of Ondo State that the letter purported to have been written by members of the 10th Assembly of Ondo State House of Assembly, signed by Rt. Hon. Oladiji Olamide Adesanmi, Speaker, Ondo State House of Assembly, dated 23rd October, 2023, transmitted to the Chief Judge of Ondo State, requesting the Chief Judge to constitute a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations of gross misconduct against the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, came to us on social media as a rude shock, as the said letter did not emanate from any of the sittings of members of Ondo State House of Assembly.

“We wish to state further that the decision to transmit such a letter by the speaker, Rt. Hon Oladiji Olamide Adesanmi, to the Chief Judge of Ondo State, in our view, is in the least unwarranted and uncalled for, in the light of the following reasons; a) The order of interim injunction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja Division, of 21st day of September, 2023, which has restrained the speaker and Ondo State House of Assembly, as 4th and 6th respondents respectively, is still subsisting, since it has neither be vacated nor set aside. For us to act in contravention of the subsisting order of the Court will certainly be contemptuous.

“The national leaders of the All Progressives Congress, on 17th October, 2023. invited all the members of the party, of Ondo State House’ of Assembly to the National Secretariat of the party and pleaded for amicable and political solution to the issue of impeachment process, initiated by the House against the Deputy Governor of Ondo State.

“Without hesitation, the request was acceded to, in the interest of the party and peace of Ondo State, by the State Chairman of APC, Engr. Ade Adetimehin and Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Oladiji Olamide Adesanmi, who consequently addressed the press immediately after the meeting. It will be untidy in our view to get back to Ondo State and act otherwise.

“The decision to transmit the purported letter of Ondo State House of Assembly, dated 23rd October, 2023, signed by Rt. Hon Oladiji Olamide Adesanmi, was taken without a formal sitting of the House and our knowledge as members of the 10th Assembly.”