By Ken Afor
Ondo State Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Monday filed a suit against the State House of Assembly, seeking to stop his impeachment process.
Aiyedatiwa, through his lawyer, Mr. Ebun Adegboruwa, SAN, is asking the State High Court to halt the impeachment process against him pending the outcome of the suit that he has filed in court.
He sued the Ondo State Government, the Governor of Ondo State, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, the Ondo State House of Assembly, the Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly, Mr Olumide Oladiji, the Clerk of Ondo State House of Assembly and the Chief Judge of Ondo State.
Details of the suit revealed that the deputy governor was seeking an ”injunction restraining the defendants and their agents, privies and representatives 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.”
Also, he is seeking “an order forthwith reinstating/restoring the 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.”
Aiyedatiwa sought “an order setting aside any purported process or notice of any allegation of gross misconduct against the claimant on the ground that such process or notice is a violation of Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
It would be recalled that last week, members of the state assembly began the impeachment process after they notified Aiyedatiwa of an allegation of gross misconduct, while he was in office as an acting governor.
It was alleged that Aiyedatiwa approved the sum of N300 million for the purchase of a bulletproof Service Utility Vehicle (SUV) for his personal use.
According to Tribune quoting a source, the approval was allegedly given by Aiyedatiwa without the knowledge of his principal, Akeredolu who was in Germany medical vacation.
Details revealed that the said fund was sourced from the federal government’s palliative to the state.
“This fund, provided by the Federal government, was intended to support states in addressing the needs of their citizens,” the source said.
