The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled October 30 for the hearing of pending applications filed by the legal teams of Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, his deputy, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and others.
This was in relation to the lawsuit initiated by the deputy governor to contest impeachment proceedings against him.
Previously, Aiyedatiwa’s counsel, Kayode Adewusi, presented an ex-parte motion to Justice Emeka Nwite, seeking an interim order to halt the impeachment efforts against him and to restrain Governor Akeredolu from submitting the name of a new deputy governor to the state’s House of Assembly for confirmation until the case is resolved.
The respondents in this case include the Inspector General of Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), Governor Akeredolu, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Chief Judge of Ondo State, and the House of Assembly.
On September 26, Justice Nwite issued an order preventing the Ondo Assembly from impeaching Aiyedatiwa due to alleged gross misconduct and instructed relevant stakeholders to maintain the status quo regarding the impeachment proceedings.
But the governor and some of the defendants filed preliminary objections against the deputy governor’s case.
One of the arguments canvassed by the defendants was that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the deputy governor’s case.