Impeachment: Ondo Assembly, Speaker withdraw case against Aiyedatiwa -

The Ondo State House of Assembly and its Speaker on Thursday withdrew their appeal filed before the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, against the ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which stopped the planned impeachment of the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

The Ondo State House of Assembly and its Speaker had challenged the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, Abuja, to handle the matter and appealed against the court’s ruling halting the planned impeachment of the Deputy Governor.

When the case was called, counsel to the Speaker and the State House of Assembly, Dr. Peter Olatobura (SAN), told the three-member panel of Justices of the appellate court that he had the instructions of his clients to withdraw the appeal.

Olatobura informed the court that parties in the matter had found a political solution to their problems and had signed an agreement to withdraw the appeal.

“On the part of the first Respondent, we are here to withdraw the appeal as part of the agreement,” he said, adding that the instruction to withdraw the appeal was given by the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly.

According to the senior lawyer, the appeal is being withdrawn in the interest of peace and as part of the agreement reached by the parties.

He said the notice of withdrawal, dated November 29, was filed on November 30, 2023.

Respondents in the appeal confirmed that they were served with the notice of withdrawal and added that they would not be objecting to the notice of withdrawal.

Consequently, the court dismissed the appeal, having been withdrawn by the appellants.

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 the Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, pending the determination of a pending motion on notice for interlocutory injunctions.