Impeachment: Deadlock As Ondo CJ Refuse To Set Up Probe Panel On Aiyedatiwa

The fact that Justice Olusegun Odusola, the state’s chief judge, refused the state house of assembly’s directive to form a panel to investigate the state’s embattled deputy governor within seven days gave clear proof that the impeachment plot against Lucky Aiyedatiwa may have been stagnated.

Gistlover discovered that Justice Odusola had informed State Assembly Speaker Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji that he would not be able to carry out the direction until the Abuja Federal High Court’s decision to halt the impeachment process against Aiyedatiwa was overturned.

It was gathered that Justice Odusola communicated his position on the festering issue to Speaker Oladiji as the seven-day deadline handed down to him by the state legislature expired on Tuesday.

The Assembly gave Odusola seven days to form a panel of seven people to look into the 14 claims of potential official misconduct leveled against Aiyedatiwa during its plenary on Tuesday, October 3.

Odusola instructed the speaker to make strenuous attempts to overturn the decision of the Abuja Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, as an unavoidable prerequisite to his compliance with the Assembly’s instruction, a politician in the State Assembly told this publication.

He said,” The CJ has reached out to Mr. Speaker that he cannot set up a 7-member panel to probe the deputy governor as directed by the House, claiming that his hands are tied by the interim order issued by Justice Emeka Nwite, stopping the impeachment process.

“The CJ further told Mr. Speaker that the House should make conscious efforts to remove that hurdle, otherwise he would not set up the panel. The CJ assured that the seven-day window for him to carry out the assignment would commence from the day the order of the Federal High Court is vacated.

“When the speaker drew the attention of the CJ to the action of the State High Court, which vacated similar order on Tuesday, he responded that the State High Court didn’t expressly directed him to act. So, the House would have to initiate moves to vacate the controversial order before we can make any headway on this matter,” added the lawmaker, who pleaded that his name should not be mentioned in print.

According to LEADERSHIP, Justice Nwite issued an ex-parte injunction on September 16, 2023, prohibiting Governor Rotimi Akeredolu from proposing a new deputy governor.

The House petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) in opposition to Justice Nwite’s ruling.

As our journalist called and texted Speaker Oladiji to get his reaction to the incident, he chose not to remark on it.