An Ondo State High Court in Akure, on Monday, dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Ondo State Government and Governor Rotimi Akeredolu regarding the compilation of the record of appeal.
Apology: Akeredolu Replies Aiyedatiwa, Rejects Allegations of Meddling
The plaintiffs had taken legal action against four registrars of the High Court, the Deputy Governor of the state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the House of Assembly, the Speaker of the House, and the Chief Judge of Ondo State. They contended that the process of settling and assembling the record of appeal for the deputy governor’s hearing would violate their rights.
During the hearing, the claimants, represented by their counsel, made a surprising move by applying to withdraw the suit, citing the suit’s obsoleteness due to subsequent events. However, this move was met with resistance from the deputy governor’s counsel, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), who argued that the case had progressed significantly with the filing of a defense and counter-claim.
Justice D.I. Kolawole, in his ruling, emphasized that the court’s rules allowed the claimants to withdraw the suit, leading to its striking out.
Ondo Assembly Unyielding in Aiyedatiwa’s Impeachment Process Despite Apology
The counsel for the Deputy Governor, Aiyedatiwa, urged the court to maintain the status quo to preserve the subject matter of the suit, but this was opposed by the House of Assembly’s counsel, Mr Femi Emodamori.
The court directed all parties to maintain peace and adjourned the case till November 22, 2023, for the hearing of further applications.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Mr Olamide Oladiji, had previously indicated that the State Deputy Governor’s failure to withdraw the cases in court demonstrated a lack of readiness for genuine reconciliation, emphasizing the necessity of withdrawing the cases for reconciliation to proceed.