By Kamil Opeyemi
The Ondo State House of Assembly has suspended the impeachment proceedings against Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the Deputy Governor of the state.
Olusegun Odusola, the Chief Judge of the state High Court, had declined the Assembly’s request to set up a seven-man panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against Aiyedatiwa.
The CJ was said to have cited a subsisting court’s ex-parte order restraining him from carrying out the directive of the Assembly.
Speaking on the matter on Friday, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Mr. Olatunji Oshati, said the House would abide by the order of the court, hence the suspension of the proceedings on the impeachment
He said the assembly will follow due process in their impeachment bid against the deputy governor, adding that the assembly is only carrying out its oversight functions.
“We have considered the letter which is everywhere in the public domain and we are halting the impeachment process until the order of the federal high court is vacated.
“It is not about being arrogant with power, it is about holding public officers accountable. It also shows that the process of impeachment transcends the monopoly of the legislature as we can see that the judiciary has stalled it,” he said
There has been an alleged rift between Aiyedatiwa and Rotimi Akeredolu, the Ondo governor, since his return to Nigeria after a three-month medical leave in Germany.
Aiyedatiwa acted in Akeredolu’s stead while he was away. Upon his return however, Akeredolu sacked the media aides attached to the office of his deputy after operating from Oyo state for a while.
The house also kick-started its impeachment proceedings against Aiyedatiwa who has since pledged his loyalty to the governor.
In early October, the Ondo house of assembly wrote a petition against Emeka Nwite, a federal high court judge, who gave an order stopping the impeachment of Aiyedatiwa.
In the ex parte order granted on September 26, Nwite also restrained Akeredolu from nominating a new deputy.
Meanwhile, a socio-cultural organisation, under the auspices of the Egbe Omo Ilaje Worldwide has called on President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of Afenifere as well as traditional rulers to intervene in the politics of Ondo State.
The group also expressed concern over the ongoing impeachment process of the deputy governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, which was believed to have been caused by the crisis between him and Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
According to a communiqué issued at end of the group’s meeting in Akure on Friday by the Secretary-General Mr Edamisan Ogunfeyijimi, the group said only urgent intervention by the President, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress and relevant stakeholders would ensure stability in the polity and for peaceful coexistence in the state.
“The National Executive Council and the good people of Ilaje nation call on the state and national leadership of APC and the President, Bola Tinubu, for his urgent intervention and prevailed on the members of Ondo State House of Assembly to discontinue this ill-conceived and politically motivated impeachment plot against His Excellency, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the deputy governor of Ondo State, to ensure stability in the polity and for the peaceful coexistence in Ondo State.
“As a matter of urgency, our traditional rulers in Ondo State and the Afenifere leaders should intervene by engaging their counterparts and other stakeholders in Ondo State and beyond in a bid to find an amicable resolution to the crisis in order not to plunge the state into an avoidable socio-economic and political crisis,” the communiqué partly read