Ondo Assembly Excludes Itself From APC Reconciliation Committee

EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Ondo State House of Assembly has declared that it is not a part of the All Progressives Congress (APC) reconciliation committee established to address the crisis surrounding the potential impeachment of the state’s deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

The assembly stated that since it wasn’t included in the reconciliation committee, it urged the Chief Judge to proceed with forming a panel to investigate Aiyedatiwa.

EDITOR’S PICKS

Lucky Aiyedatiwa, through his Counsel, Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa (SAN), had previously written to the Chief Judge of the state, Olusegun Odusola, requesting that he disregard the House of Assembly’s directive to establish a seven-person panel for his investigation.

However, the Ondo Assembly’s lawyer, Barr. Femi Emodamori, argued that the ex parte order had already expired, and the court had not renewed it.

In a statement titled “Ondo Assembly Not Part Of APC Reconciliation,” signed by the lawyer, Emodamori clarified that the assembly was not participating in the APC reconciliation process and was awaiting the court’s ruling.

During the court proceedings, the plaintiff’s counsel had requested an indefinite adjournment, citing the APC’s reconciliation committee and a petition filed against the judge by the Ondo State House of Assembly. Emodamori explained that they had persuaded the assembly to withdraw the petition, apologizing for any derogatory language used in it.

Emodamori emphasized that the assembly was not privy to the APC reconciliation committee, as the impeachment process was a legislative matter, involving members from different political parties.

He stressed that adjourning the case indefinitely with an ex parte order would risk constitutional anarchy, as impeachment proceedings have specific time constraints.

The judge, in response to various submissions, agreed that the issue of jurisdiction must be addressed first.

Consequently, he refused the application for an indefinite adjournment and scheduled the case for October 16th to hear applications challenging the court’s jurisdiction.

Emodamori pointed out that the deputy governor had only served the assembly with the originating summons and the ex parte order today, confirming their earlier claims that they were never served with these documents.