In front of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, Ondo State Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa said that he was abandoning the lawsuit he had filed to stop the Ondo State House of Assembly from impeaching him.
The case with file number FHC/ABJ/CS/1294/2023 included the following defendants: the Chief Judge of Ondo State, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Governor of Ondo State, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Department of State Services.
Aiyedatiwa’s lawyer, Mr. Ebun-olu Adegboruwa (SAN), told the court at the Monday hearing that the deputy governor intended to withdraw the action due to the All Progressives Congress leadership’s involvement in the matter.
According to the SAN, on October 6, All Progressives Congress National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje formed a reconciliation committee in an attempt to resolve a dispute amongst a few of the lawsuit’s parties.
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Adegboruwa claims that if the legal proceedings go on, the APC leadership’s efforts at reconciliation would be hindered.
He said that the Ondo State House of Assembly had petitioned the National Judicial Council on October 3, 2023, against Justice Emeka Nwite, the current judge.
He requested that the court postpone taking any further action until the NJC had rendered a decision regarding the petition.
The lawyers for Chief Judge Mutalib Ojo (SAN) and Governor Kazeem Gbadamosi (SAN) of Ondo State contested Adegboruwa and requested that the case be heard in court.
The Assembly’s lawyer, Femi Emodamori, claimed in his submission that the Ondo Assembly had already dropped its legal action against the judge.
Judge Nwite decided to hold off on making a ruling until October 6.
Aiyedatiwa filed a complaint seeking a temporary injunction to stop Akeredolu, his staff, or privies from intimidating, harassing, or demeaning him or from impeding his capacity to carry out the responsibilities of his role as deputy governor of Ondo State.
The court granted his applications and continued the hearing until Monday in order to consider the substantive case.
