The Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Monday, dragged the state House of Assembly before the court over the moves to impeach him.
The Assembly had last Wednesday at plenary commenced impeachment proceedings against the deputy governor, acting on a petition accusing him of gross misconduct.
The petitioner alleged that Aiyedatiwa committed the alleged infractions during his time as the acting governor when Governor Rotimi Akeredolu was abroad on medical vacation.
Akeredolu had shortly on his return to the country sacked the media team of the deputy governor, suggesting the beginning of troubles for Aiyedatiwa.
The House, on Wednesday, directed the clerk to serve the petition on the embattled deputy governor, kicking off the process for his impeachment.
But on Monday, Aiyedatiwa, through his lawyer, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, approached the Ondo State High Court in Akure, seeking an order to halt the impeachment move.
Listed as defendants in the suit were the Ondo State Government, the Governor of Ondo State, the Ondo State House of Assembly, the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, the Clerk of the Ondo State House of Assembly and the Chief Judge of Ondo State.
In the suit marked AK/348/2023, Aiyedatiwa is praying the court to declare that “the defendants are not entitled to take any steps in pursuit of the removal of the claimant from his office as the deputy governor of Ondo State in flagrant violation of his constitutional and fundamental rights.”
He wants the court to declare that “the defendants are not entitled to constitute themselves into investigators, prosecutors and judge over trumped-up allegations against the claimant in relation to his office, tenure and status as the deputy governor of Ondo State.”
Aiyedatiwa also, among others, wants the court to restrain the defendants and their agents “from interfering with, restricting, disempowering and/or preventing the claimant from discharging his constitutional duties and functions as the duly-elected deputy governor of Ondo State in a joint and equal ticket with the governor of the Ondo State.”
He also wants the court to make an order “reinstating/restoring the full and total rights and privileges attached or accruing to the office of the claimant as duly elected deputy governor of Ondo State, which include, but not limited to the restoration of all media aides and press crew attached to the office of the claimant as deputy governor of Ondo State.”
The court has yet to fix a date for the lawsuit filed on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Olumide Oladiji, on Monday, raised the alarm that his life was under threat over the impeachment move against the deputy governor.
The Speaker claimed that some individuals had been phoning him and issuing threats to his life.
Oladiji also confirmed that some fetish items were placed in front of his official quarters on Monday morning, saying all these were not unconnected with the ongoing impeachment process by the state Assembly.
He stated this at his office in the state House of Assembly complex, Akure, while speaking with journalists.
He said, “Early this morning, we discovered that fetish items were placed in front of my (official) lodge. Aside from that, I have been receiving strange calls from strange people threatening my life and other members. But I’m not under any pressure.
“l am using the medium to tell the world that my life is under threat. I call on the security operatives to checkmate these people who have been threatening my life and other members. This threat started the day we began the impeachment notice. I have already reported to the NSCDC, among other security agencies.”
The speaker also revealed that the House was unable to serve the deputy governor the petition since the commencement of the process last week but the notice had been served on Monday through substituted means.
“ We have now secured a court affidavit which gives the House a legitimate right to serve the deputy governor and all the 26 lawmakers have appended their signatures on the petition,” Oladiji said.
However, the embattled deputy governor has debunked being officially served the notice of gross misconduct, as of Monday, saying he only heard it on the media.
In a statement he issued, Aiyedatiwa stated “It is pertinent to put on record that as of today, Monday, September 25, 2023, I have not received any official communication or any ‘letter of allegations of gross misconduct’ from the Ondo State House of Assembly.”
He added: “I find it especially worrying that the spokesman for the House of Assembly would go on national television to speak on such matter without any evidence to show that such letter has been delivered to me. More disturbing is the fact that even when he was asked if the letter had been delivered, he gave no coherent answer.
“A sensitive constitutional matter of this nature; the impeachment process should not be conducted on the pages of newspapers and television screens.
In effect, I reiterate that if such a ‘letter of allegations of gross misconduct’ against me exists, I have not seen it and I have not been served. I therefore urge Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Chief Judge of Ondo State and members of the public to take note.”
Meanwhile, a group, the Ondo Redemption Front has called on the National Assembly to intervene in the ongoing impeachment process of the state Deputy Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Speaking with journalists in Akure, the Chairman of the ORF, Mr Ayodeji Ologun, expressed dissatisfaction over the state of the Sunshine State in recent times, saying the state had been grounded governmentally, following the absence of the governor from the state.
Ologun said it was regrettable that instead of addressing pressing issues in the state, the Assembly was hunting the deputy governor.
He said, “Worthy of mention is the fact that since the return of Mr Akeredolu he had refused to resume his official duty post for the governance of the state, a situation that is causing serious apprehension in the state.”
