- Ondo State Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa petitions the High Court in Akure to halt the impeachment process initiated against him
- He seeks a declaration that the assembly is incompetent to proceed and asserts his constitutional right to a fair hearing
Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the deputy governor of Ondo State, has petitioned a High Court in Akure, the state capital, for an order prohibiting the state house of assembly from proceeding with the impeachment process against him.
The state assembly began the impeachment process against the deputy governor last week on charges of gross misconduct, but Aiyedatiwa has denied any wrongdoing.
The deputy governor is seeking a declaration that the state assembly is incompetent to proceed with his impeachment and that the action violates his constitutional and fundamental rights to a fair hearing in suit No. AK/348/2023, which was filed yesterday.
He is asking the court to declare that his office, tenure, status, rights, and privileges are protected, guaranteed, and secured by the Constitution. He is entitled to a fair hearing in determining his civil rights and obligations as deputy governor of Ondo State.
Mr Aiyedatiwa is also seeking court orders to prevent the assembly from initiating, continuing, or proceeding with the process of removing him from office, as well as to prevent the Chief Judge of Ondo State from accepting or acting on any request from the state assembly to establish any panel to investigate any acts of gross misconduct against him.
On behalf of the deputy governor, human rights lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN) filed the suit in the High Court.
My life under threat over impeachment proceedings – Ondo Assembly Speaker
The Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, has cried out over alleged threats to his life amid ongoing impeachment proceedings against the embattled deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Oladiji disclosed that he has been receiving mysterious phone calls in relation to the impeachment proceedings.
According to the Speaker, a distressing incident occurred in the early hours of Monday when unidentified individuals placed fetish items at the gate of his official residence in Alagbaka part of Akure, the state capital.
While stating that he is undeterred by the developments, Oladiji emphasised that lawmakers, particularly those from Ondo South senatorial district, where the deputy governor hails from, have also been subjected to threats, warning them not to return home.