Ismail Abdulazeez Mantu Reporting
Ondo State, Nigeria
The Ondo State House of Assembly and its Speaker has withdrawn its appeal filed before the Court of Appeal, Abuja, against the ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which stopped the planned impeachment of the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
The Ondo State House of Assembly and its Speaker had challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, Abuja to handle the matter and appealed against the court’s ruling halting the planned impeachment of the deputy governor.
At Thursday’s proceedings, counsel for the Speaker and the Assembly, Remi Olatobura, told the three-member panel of Justices of the appellate court that he has the instructions of his clients to withdraw the appeal.
The senior lawyer told the court that parties in the matter have found a political solution to their problems and have signed an agreement to withdraw the appeal.
According to Olatubora, the appeal is being withdrawn in the interest of peace and, as part of the agreement reached by the parties.
Respondents in the appeal confirmed that they were served with the notice of withdrawal adding that, they were not objecting to the notice of withdrawal.
Justice Haruna Tsammani, who led the three-member panel, subsequently dismissed the appeal, having been withdrawn by the appellants.
The appeal filed on October 3 by the Ondo Assembly and its Speaker is against the orders made ex-parte by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja on September 26 restraining the Ondo State Governor, its Chief Judge, the House of Assembly, its Speaker and others from proceeding with their planned impeachment of the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa pending the determination of a pending motion on notice for interlocutory injunctions.
Last week, members of the state assembly and the deputy governor met with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja and the parties agreed to sheathe their swords.