A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled October 16 as the date for ruling on the application made by the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to withdraw a case filed against the Ondo State House of Assembly and others.
Aiyedatiwa had initiated legal action, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1294/2023, against several parties, including the Inspector-General of Police, the Department of State Services, the Governor of Ondo State, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Chief Judge of Ondo State, and the House of Assembly. In his motion on notice, he sought an interim injunction to restrain Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and others from interfering with his duties as the deputy governor.
The court had initially granted his prayers and adjourned the matter until October 9.
During Monday’s proceedings, Aiyedatiwa’s counsel, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, informed the court that the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, had established a Reconciliation Committee on October 6, 2023, to mediate the dispute between some of the parties involved in the case. Adegboruwa argued that proceeding with the court proceedings might affect the party’s reconciliation efforts.
Additionally, Adegboruwa informed the court that the Ondo State House of Assembly had submitted a petition to the National Judicial Council (NJC) on October 3, 2023, against the presiding judge. He urged the court to await the NJC’s action on the petition before proceeding with the case.
However, counsel for the Ondo State governor, Kazeem Gbadamosi, and the Chief Judge, Mutalib Ojo, respectively, requested the court to proceed with the case, asserting that the issue of jurisdiction needed to be resolved first.
In response, the counsel for the Ondo State House of Assembly, Femi Emodamori, stated that the assembly had written a letter and affidavit to the NJC on October 6, withdrawing the earlier petition.
Justice Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, subsequently adjourned the case to October 16 to rule on the submissions made during the proceedings.
The case centers on the ongoing dispute involving the deputy governor and various state authorities, with the legal proceedings playing a significant role in the resolution of the conflict.