Court Halts Ondo Assembly Impeachment Move Against Dep Gov Aiyedatiwa

A Federal High Court Abuja on Tuesday, halted the impeachment process against the Ondo State House of Assembly Deputy Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, over alleged gross misconduct, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit before it. Justice Emeka Nwite also restrained Governor Rotimi Akeredolu from nominating a new deputy governor and forwarding same to the lawmakers for approval. The ruling was following an ex-parte motion moved by counsel to Aiyedatiwa,  Kayode Adewusi. Justice Nwite held that after listening to Adewusi, he was of the view that the interest of justice would be met by granting the application. “Therefore, the application of the applicant succeeds,” he said. The embattled deputy governor had, in a motion on notice marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1294/2023, sued the Inspector-General of Police and the Department of State Services. Others are Akeredoku, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Chief Judge of Ondo State, and the House of Assembly as 1st to 6th respondents respectively. In the application dated and filed by Mr Adelanke Akinrata on September 21, Aiyedatiwa sought four reliefs. The judge further made an order of interim injunction restraining Akeredolu, his servants, or privies from harassing, intimidating, embarrassing, and preventing Aiyedatiwa from carrying out the functions of his office as deputy governor of Ondo state. Justice Nwite, who granted all the reliefs adjourned the matter until October 9 for a hearing. Aiyedatiwa had, also in another suit marked: AK/348/2023 asked the High Court in Akure to stop the state’s house of assembly from proceeding with the impeachment proceedings against him pending the hearing and determination of the suit filed in the court on Monday.

Court halts Obaseki’s move to impeach Deputy Gov, Shuaib

Justice Ahmed Mohammed of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki’s Deputy, Comrade Phillip Shuaib to maintain status quo in a suit seeking to sack the latter. The order is following a motion on notice filed by Shuaib praying the court to stop the move to ease him out of office by his principal over their irreconcilable differences. In the ruling on the motion argued by Moses Ebute SAN from the Chambers of Chief Ogwu James Onoja SAN in Abuja, Justice Mohammed directed the parties in the suit to maintain “Status Quo Ante Bellum”. The order for the status quo ante bellum  released on Friday, is to be in force till the time the defendants shall show cause as directed in another ruling of of the Court made on July 27th, 2023. By the order of ‘status quo ante bellum’, parties are to remain in the positions  they were before Shuaib’s suit marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/1027/2023  was instituted against the defendants. The defendants are the Inspector General of Police (IGP), State Security Service (SSS), Edo Governor, Godwin Obaseki, Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly and the Chief Judge, Edo State as 1st to 5th respondents, respectfully. At the Friday’s proceedings, the Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly was represented by his counsel, Okotie Eboh while the Chief Judge was represented by  Francis Ogbe both who opposed granting of Shuaib’s request but lost in the Court’s ruling. Justice Mohammed after the ruling shifted hearing in the matter till August 10 and ordered that the IGP, SSS and Obaseki who were not represented in court be served with hearing notices. Shaibu, in his originating simmons prayed the Court to determine whether in view of the provisions of sections 186 and 193 of the 1999 Constitution, Governor Obaseki has power to instigate the IGP and SSS to harass, intimidate, molest and prevent him from accessing his office to carry out his Constitutionally guaranteed duties. He also asked the court to ascertain whether the Governor has power to instigate the Speaker and the Chief Judge to commence impeachment proceedings against him with a view to remove him from office on any other ground other than allegations of misconduct as contained in section 188 of the 1999 Constitution. The Deputy Governor further prayed the Court to decide whether in view of the provisions of section 193 of the 1999 Constitution, Obaseki can deliberately refuse to carry him along or informing him of the State Executive Council (SEC) Meeting or any other meetings or functions within and outside Edo without violating the express provision of the law. Upon positive resolutions of the issues in his favour, Shuaib asked the court to declare that the IGP, SSS and Obaseki lacked power to intimidate, harass, embarrass or molest him. He also sought Court’s declaration that Obaseki, Speaker and the Chief Judge lacked power to impeach him on any ground other than gross misconduct and that the Speaker and the Chief Judge at the same time,  lacked requisite power to set up a 7-Man panel of Inquiry on the same ground. Among others, Shuaib requested for order of injunction restraining IGP, SSS and Obaseki and their agents and privies from harassing, embarrassing,, intimidating and preventing them from stopping him to carry out his legitimate functions. He further prayed for an order of injunction restraining Obaseki, Speaker and Chief Judge from taking any action, plan or step on the impeachment plan and another order specifically stopping the Chief Judge from taking instructions from Obaseki and the Speaker to set up any panel of Inquiry for the purpose of impeaching him.