.Group raises alarm over alleged plan to distort facts about Akeredolu’s health

Ondo State House of Assembly, yesterday, reactivated the impeachment proceedings against the Deputy Governor of the state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

This reactivation comes as a group, Ondo Youth and Masses Conscience, raises the alarm over an alleged plan by some persons to present distorted facts about the health of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu in the coming days.

The group, in a statement signed by the state Coordinator, Adetunji Benjamin, alleged that those behind the false claims about Akeredolu want to portray him as incapacitated.

While calling on security agencies in the state to be vigilant, Benjamin added that a protest was also being planned against the governor.

In the House of Assembly, the reactivation of the impeachment process comes amid intervention by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) towards finding a political solution to the impasse in the state, which saw the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje, visiting and  urging the warring sides to cease fire.

A few weeks ago, the Chief Judge of the state, Olusegun Odusola, declined the request of the Assembly to set up a probe panel against Aiyedatiwa, citing a substantive ex-parte order of an Abuja Federal High Court.

But in a fresh letter signed by the Speaker, Olamide Oladiji, obtained by The Guardian, the Assembly redirected the Chief Judge of the state, Olusegun Odusola, to set up a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations brought against the deputy governor.

While emphasising that the ex-parte order has expired, the Assembly maintained that the elapsed interim injunction will no longer constitute an encumbrance to the process.

The letter 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 levelled by the House against the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa, 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.”

The letter reminded the judge that the order has elapsed, saying: “Your lordship would recall that the ex parte order was made on September 26, 2023 (a copy of which is attached hereto as an Annexure)
ODHA1), after which the case was adjourned to October 9, 2023. The third defendant in the case filed a motion on October 4, 2023, to discharge the order and/or strike out the case for lack of jurisdiction. A copy of the motion is attached hereto as Annexure ODSH 2.

“Fourteen days from October 4, 2023, when the motion was filed, terminated on or about October 18, 2023. The Court has not taken the application or renewed the order, as evident in the Certified True Copy of the Court’s record of proceedings for October 9, 2023, and October 16, 2023, copies of which are attached hereto as Annexures ODHA 3 and ODHA 3A, respectively. In Exhibit ODHA3, it was recorded that the motion was served on the plaintiff in court on October 9, 2023, after which the matter was adjourned to October 16, 2023.

“In view of the above facts, 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 virtue of 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.”