The Ondo State deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has approached a High Court in Akure, the state capital, seeking an order to stop the state house of assembly from continuing with the impeachment process against him.
The state assembly had begun the impeachment process against the deputy governor last week over allegations of gross misconduct, but Aiyedatiwa has denied any wrongdoing.
In suit No. AK/348/2023 filed yesterday, the deputy governor is seeking a declaration that the state assembly is not competent to proceed with his impeachment and that the action is in breach of his constitutional and fundamental rights to fair hearing.
He is praying the court to declare that his office, tenure, status, rights and privileges are protected, guaranteed and secured by the constitution, and asking for a declaration that in the determination of his civil rights and obligations as deputy governor of Ondo State, he is entitled to a fair hearing.
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Mr Aiyedatiwa is also seeking court orders to stop the assembly from initiating, continuing or proceeding with the process of his removal from office and to stop the Chief Judge of Ondo State from accepting or acting upon any request from the state assembly to set up any panel to investigate any acts of gross misconduct against him, among others.
Human rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), filed the suit before the High Court on behalf of the deputy governor.
My life under threat – Speaker
Meanwhile, the state assembly speaker, Olamide Oladiji, has raised an alarm over an alleged threat to his life by yet-to-be-identified persons in the state.
The speaker claimed that the threat to his life began with the impeachment process against the deputy governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, adding that he has reported the matter to security agencies in the state.
“Since the day we started this impeachment process, I have been receiving strange calls and my life has been under a serious threat from unknown people. I want to call on the people of Ondo State and security operatives to track these people down,” he said.
Earlier, suspected ritualists had stormed the official residence of the speaker, with fetish items. Our correspondent reports that the fetish items were positioned around the entrance route to the speaker’s lodge, located beside the Alagbaka Government House in the early hours of yesterday, according to eyewitnesses.
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