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  • Ondo Deputy Governor Aiyedatiwa resumes, to preside over SEC

    Ondo Deputy Governor Aiyedatiwa resumes, to preside over SEC

    Ondo Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, will preside over the State Executive Council meeting scheduled to hold on Thursday.

    Aiyedatiwa will preside as Vice Chairman of the Council.

    This is the first State Council meeting to be held in months since Governor Rotimi Akeredolu took I’ll.

    Ondo Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, confirmed the scheduled SEC meeting.

    She said Aiyedatiwa will preside as Vice Chairman.

    Read Also: Lagos Assembly begins assessment of roads

    When asked if Aiyedatiwa has returned to Akure, she said could not confirmed it.

    It was gathered that Aiyedatiwa resumed weeks after leaving the State to fight against his impeachment proceedings.

    He reportedly resumed work in his office at the Alagbaka Governor’s Office after arriving in the state on Wednesday afternoon from Abuja.

    Itinerary of Governor signed by the Chief of Protocol, Bola Alabi, said the press would not be allowed in the Chamber during the meeting.

    A source said: “The excos meeting that will be held on Thursday shows that everyone is sticking with the resolution reached with Tinubu.

    “All that we are focused on is the development of Ondo State, and that should be paramount in the minds of all of us at the moment.”

  • Speaker: Aiyedatiwa to send quit letter

    Speaker: Aiyedatiwa to send quit letter

    The political crisis in Ondo State took a new turn yesterday.

    The deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, is expected to sign an undated resignation letter, according to the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji.

    The Speaker explained that the submission of an unsigned resignation letter would be in compliance with the agreement reached by party leaders during the reconciliation brokered by President Bola Tinubu in Aso Villa, Abuja, at the weekend.

    Apart from Oladiji, other All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders from Ondo State present at the peace parley include Secretary to Government Mrs. Oladunni Odu; party chairman, Ade Adetimehin and Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo South).

    The report of the peace parley was presented to lawmakers during yesterday’s plenary where lawmakers declined to approve moves by some members to pronounce Ayedatiwa as acting governor.

    Before the presentation, the Assembly approved the names of newly appointed management committee members for 51 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) after their screening.

    Ondo State, with 18 Local Government Areas, recently created 33 LCDAs.

    According to the Speaker, who read the prepared text, other terms of the agreement at the meeting with the President are the suspension of impeachment proceedings against the deputy governor, withdrawal of court cases by Ayedatiwa, maintenance of status quo at the party, House of Assembly and State Executive Council; Ayedatiwa to function as deputy governor and not as acting governor and exhibition of loyalty by the deputy governor to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

    Besides, the leaders are to ensure that the APC structure is not polarised while the deputy governor is not to seek vendetta.

    Oladiji said a three-man panel consisting of himself, Odu and Adetimehin were appointed to monitor compliance with the resolutions.

    He cautioned gladiators fanning the embers of disunity due to political interests to thread softly, warning that they would face the full wrath of the law if they refused to retrace their steps.

    Reflecting on the conflicts, Oladiji explained: “Our actions or inactions were governed, guided and directed by the rules of law, even though futile efforts were made to blackmail and throw a spanner in our wheel as a body of lawmakers.

    “We just witnessed democracy at play. Democracy, in my view, is a form of participatory government that provides for give and take, checks and balances.

    “It is a process in which the actions and or inactions of the ruler and the ruled are guided by the constitutions and the rule of law.

    “The event which we all have just witnessed provided an avenue for assessment and reassessment. It was a win-win situation.”

    The state has been on the edge amid jostling for relevance by political leaders since the return of Governor Akeredolu from his three-month medical vacation in Germany on September 7.

    Akeredolu has not stepped his feet on Ondo soil since his return and collection of power back from Aiyedatiwa, whom he handed over to while travelling abroad.

    Read Also: Akeredolu, Aiyedatiwa peace agreement heads for collapse

    To douse the tension, the President invited political gladiators, including Aiyedatiwa, to the Aso Villa on Friday night for a peace meeting.

    The implementation of the resolutions is threatened by the action of some of the gladiators who have been interpreting the terms of the agreement differently.

    Justifying the appointment of local government caretaker chairmen, the Speaker said constitutional procedures, including a public hearing, were undertaken to give legal credence to the creation of the LCDAs before the Bill was passed into law.

    He said: “Today, we are again writing our names in gold as we ratify the appointment of chairmen and caretaker committee members to man the affairs of thirty-three newly created LCDAs.

    “Honourable colleagues, ratification of caretaker committees to take charge of the previously existing eighteen Local Government Areas of the State will also be undertaken by this Honourable House today.

    “This became imperative, following the expiration of the tenure of the elected Local Government Chairmen months ago.”

  • Ondo Assembly fails to declare Aiyedatiwa Acting Gov

    Ondo Assembly fails to declare Aiyedatiwa Acting Gov

    Ondo Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is to sign and submit an undated resignation letter to President Bola Tinubu.

    This was part of the resolution reached during the peace meeting brokered by President Tinubu on the political crisis in the Sunshine State.

    Ondo Speaker, Hon Olamide Oladiji, disclosed this during Tuesday’s plenary  while presenting report of the resolutions reached at the Abuja meeting to the people of the State.

    Oladiji said three enforcers including Ondo APC chairman, Engr. Ade Adetimehin, Secretary to the State Government, Princess Catharin Oladunni Odu and himself were appointed to monitor compliance with the resolution.

    Oladiji cautioned politicians and other gladiators fanning the embers of war because of their interests to thread softly or the Assembly would  deploy the full weight of the law to call them to order.

    “Our actions or inactions were governed, guided and directed by the rules of law even though futile attends were made to blackmail and throw a spanner in our wheel as a body of lawmakers.

    “We just witnessed democracy at play. Democracy in my view is a form of participating government that provides for give and take, checks and balances. It is a process in which the actions and or inactions of the ruler and the ruled
    are guided by the constitutions and the rules of law.

    Read Also: Akeredolu, Aiyedatiwa peace agreement heads for collapse

    “The event which we all have just witnessed, provided an avenue for assessment and reassessment. It was a win-win situation,” he said. 

    Speaking on the newly appointed Caretaker Committee Chairmen for the 51 local councils, Hon Oladiji said all necessary constitutional procedure including a Public Hearing were undertaken to give legal credence to the creation of the LCDAS before the Bill was passed into law.

    According to him: “Today, we are again writing our names in gold as we ratify the appointments of chairmen and caretaker committee members to man the affairs of thirty-three newly created LCDAs.

    “Honourable colleagues, ratification of caretaker committees to take charge of the previously existing eighteen Local Government Areas of the State will also be undertaken by this Honourable House today.

    “This became imperative, following the expiration of the tenure of the elected Local Government Chairmen months ago.”

  • Empower Aiyedatiwa as Acting Governor, APC leaders insist

    Empower Aiyedatiwa as Acting Governor, APC leaders insist

    Some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have insisted that the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa should be empowered as Acting Governor in line with constitutional provisions.

    President Bola Tinubu on Friday asked the status quo be maintained and Aiyedatiwa resume office as Deputy Governor.

    But the Ondo APC Progressives stakeholders, at a meeting in Akure, said the prolonged absence of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has crippled. economy of the State.

    A statement at the meeting and signed by its Chairman Hon. Afe Olowookere and Secretary Hon. Raman Rotimi, called on the House of Assembly to empower Aiyedatiwa to function as the Acting Governor.

    The statement resolved that party supremacy must be entrenched to facilitate inclusion and mutual respect.

    It said: “All inclusive  developmental agenda for socio- economic, industrial and cultural rebirth that will put the State in  its rightful place should be designed by all parties and stakeholders to provide quality, sustainable economic and industrial development for the people

    Read Also: APC Elders wade into Aiyedatiwa, Akeredolu feud

    “That, APC party members should be allowed to participate and determine those to be appointed or elected into political and party offices

    “Elders and Leaders of the party must be recognized and given their pride of place in the party, rather than being neglected and ostracised by the party.

    “The system of  writing names of party executives and candidates without due process will be objected and resisted with all political and legal  means possible.”

  • Aiyedatiwa’s impeachment: Appeal Court rejects Ondo Assembly’s request to hasten hearing

    Aiyedatiwa’s impeachment: Appeal Court rejects Ondo Assembly’s request to hasten hearing

    The Abuja Court of Appeal has rejected the request from the Ondo State House of Assembly and its speaker to expedite the hearing of their appeal, which aims to overturn the Federal High Court’s order in Abuja that halted the planned impeachment of the state’s deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

    In a ruling on Monday, November 20, a three-member panel of the appellate court held that the House of Assembly’s application for an order to abridge the time for the hearing of its appeal was without merit.

    The court held that the applicant failed to show exception circumstances to warrant the grant of such an application.

    The Assembly had on October 20 filed the application to abridge the time for the respondents to file their briefs.

    It equally filed another application to extend the time to compile and transmit the record of appeal.

    During a hearing in the case on November 3 Aiyedatiwa’s lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN) faulted the application to extend the time to compel the record.

    Adegboruwa argued, among others, that the court’s Rules do not permit the appellants to seek an extension of time on behalf of the court’s Registrar, whose duty is originally to compile the record.

    He added that the option for the appellants was to, on their own, proceed to compile the record.

    Following the objection by Aiyedatiwa’s lawyer, the Assembly withdrew the application.

    Also on November 3, the appellants proceeded to argue their application to abridge the time for the respondents to file their briefs of argument, an application Aiyedatiwa’s lawyer equally objected to.

    Read Also: APC Elders wades into Aiyedatiwa, Akeredolu fued

    Adegboruwa contended that the appellants’ decision to withdraw the earlier application to extend the time to compile the record of appeal has the consequence of taking the appeal to the normal run of events under the Rules of the court.

    He added that based on the development, there was no basis for seeking to abridge time, a position the appellate court upheld in its ruling on Monday.

    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 Aiyedatiwa pending the determination of a pending motion on notice for interlocutory injunctions.

  • Court strikes out Aiyedatiwa’s case

    Court strikes out Aiyedatiwa’s case

    An Ondo State High Court presided over by Justice O. Akintan- Osadebay yesterday struck out an application by Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, in a bid to stop the Chief Judge, Justice Olusegun Odusola, from constituting a panel to investigate allegations against him.

    The deputy governor had prayed the court to restrain Justice Odusola from setting up an investigative panel as ordered by the House of Assembly.

    Aiyedatiwa had in the application dated October 13, 2023 urged the court to interpret Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, if the chief judge had power to extend seven days granted by the law to set up an investigative panel to probe the assembly’s allegations against him.

    At the resumed hearing of the case, counsel for Aiyedatiwa, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, moved to withdraw the application and counsel for the assembly, Femi Emodamori, did not oppose the withdrawal.

    Read Also: Impeachment: Aiyedatiwa’s bid to stop CJ from constituting panel fails

    The presiding judge subsequently struck out the application.

    On Monday, another court presided over by Justice D. I. Kolawole did not rule on a similar application brought by Aiyedatiwa.

    Justice Kolawole directed the parties to maintain peace and adjourned the case till November 22, to enable the parties file relevant processes and documents.

    Emodamori had argued before Justice Kolawole that since Aiyedatiwa had sued the chief judge “for himself and all the judges of Ondo State High Court” as the 5th defendant in his counterclaim, all the High Court judges were parties to the counter-claim and none of them, including Justice Kolawole, could adjudicate the case.

    He said it was a cardinal rule of justice that no one could be a judge in his own case.

  • Impeachment: Aiyedatiwa’s bid to stop CJ from constituting panel fails

    Impeachment: Aiyedatiwa’s bid to stop CJ from constituting panel fails

    The deputy governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has faced a setback in his attempt to prevent the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Olusegun Odusola, from forming a panel to investigate allegations against him.

    The application by Aiyedatiwa, which sought to restrain Justice Odusola from establishing an investigative panel as directed by the State House of Assembly, was dismissed by an Ondo State High Court presided over by Justice O. Akintan-Osadebay on Tuesday, November 7.

    Aiyedatiwa had in the application dated 13th October 2023, urged the court to interpret section 188 of the 1999 constitution as amended, if the State Chief Judge has the power to extend the seven days granted by the law to set up an investigative panel to probe the Assembly’s allegations against him.

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    At the resumed hearing of the case, Counsel to Aiyedatiwa, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, moved to withdraw the application and Counsel to the Assembly, Femi Emodamori did not oppose the withdrawal.

    The presiding judge subsequently struck out the application.

    On Monday, another court presided over by Justice D.I. Kolawole did not rule on a similar application brought by Aiyedatiwa.

    Emodamori had argued before Justice Kolawole that since Aiyedatiwa had sued the State Chief Judge “for himself and all the Judges of Ondo State High Court” as the 5th Defendant in his Counterclaim, all the High Court Judges were parties to the Counter-Claim and none of them, including Justice D.I Kolawole, could adjudicate the case.

    He said it was a cardinal rule of justice that no one could be a judge in his own case.

    Justice Kolawole then directed all the parties to maintain the peace and adjourned the case till November 22, 2023, to enable parties to file relevant processes and documents.

  • Impeachment: Ondo Speaker accuses Aiyedatiwa of ignoring APC peace moves

    Impeachment: Ondo Speaker accuses Aiyedatiwa of ignoring APC peace moves

    Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Hon Olamide Olajidi, has blamed the refusal of the Deputy Governor of the state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to withdraw cases in courts as a reason for the failure of the All Progressives Congress peace moves to materialise.

    Speaker Olajidi said Ayedatiwa, was not ready for genuine reconciliation. Olajidi stated that the APC reconciliation committee headed by Alhaji Aminu Masari, in its bid to resolve the crisis, asked Aiyedatiwa to withdraw the court cases.

    Speaking in Akure at the weekend, Speaker, Oladiji, said, “We met the National Chairman, and he specifically asked me how do we commence reconciliation. I told him that the reconciliation process has to start with the Deputy Governor. He is the one who took us to court, we cannot be reconciling ourselves when we have cases in court.

    “Let him go to the court, withdraw all these cases, then we would know that we are now in for genuine reconciliation.

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    But the deputy governor has not done so. He has appealed some of the rulings of the lower court.

    “As far as the House of Assembly is concerned, we are not doing anything. The cases are in the court and we would follow due process. We are following up the cases in the court.

    On the division among the lawmakers, the Speaker said, “At times, when there is a political tussle like this, there can be insinuations, rumours, but in the House of Assembly, we are together. We told ourselves that it is an institution, and the institution must be protected. So, we are together”.

    Aiyedatiwa had earlier said he remained committed to the ongoing reconciliation efforts of the National leadership of the APC.

    Aiyedatiwa said, ” I affirm my commitment to the ongoing reconciliation efforts of the National leadership of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the political situation in our State which is already yielding the much-needed tranquility in the State.”

  • Motion on injunction: Court fines Aiyedatiwa

    Motion on injunction: Court fines Aiyedatiwa

    • Case for Nov. 7

    An Ondo State High Court has awarded N200,000 cost against Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, over absence of his counsel in court.

    Aiyedatiwa had filed a motion asking the court to restrain the state Chief Judge and the House of Assembly from proceeding with his impeachment, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal he filed against the judgment delivered by the court on October 10, 2023 dismissing his case.

    His counsel was not represented in court to argue the motion.

    Hon. Justice O. Akintan-Osadebay, who awarded the cost, directed Aiyedatiwa to pay N50,000 cost each to the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the House of Assembly, the Clerk to the House and the state Chief Judge, who were sued as the 3rd to 6th respondents in the motion.

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    Counsel for the House of Assembly, Femi Emodamori, represented by A. S. Subair, informed the court that the motion for injunction was adjourned till today (yesterday) based on the agreement of both parties, but wondered why the counsel for Aiyedatiwa was absent and did not deem it fit to write the court over his absence.

    Justice Osadebey adjourned the hearing of the motion till November 7, 2023 and awarded N200,000 cost against Aiyedatiwa for wasting the time of the court and the other parties.

  • Aiyedatiwa to court: dismiss Akeredolu’s, others’ plea to vacate interim order

    Aiyedatiwa to court: dismiss Akeredolu’s, others’ plea to vacate interim order

    Ondo State Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa yesterday prayed a Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s application seeking to set aside the September 26 interim order restraining the state assembly from initiating an impeachment process.

    The deputy governor’s counsel, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, prayed Justice Emeka Nwite to dismiss the oral application by Akeredolu’s lawyer, Mr. Kassim Gbadamosi, SAN, and counsel for other defendants, insisting that they lacked locus (legal right) to canvass such argument.

    Read Also: Impeachment: Why Akeredolu rejected Aiyedatiwa’s apology – Sources

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Nwite had, on October 16, fixed yesterday for hearing preliminary objections by Akeredolu, Ondo State House of Assembly and its speaker.

    The judge also fixed hearing in Aiyedatiwa’s substantive suit and other processes for yesterday, besides adjourning to rule on their arguments whether the court should discontinue the suit or not.

    The judge had, on September 26, restrained the state’s assembly from impeaching Aiyedatiwa over alleged gross misconduct.

    Nwite gave the interim order in a ruling shortly after Aiyedatiwa’s counsel, Kayode Adewusi, moved the ex-parte motion to the effect.