Constitutional lawyer and global affairs analyst, Jiti Ogunye, has said it was wrong for Ondo State Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa to approach the court when the House of Assembly had not completed the impeachment processes.
Speaking on a popular programme on Television Continental (TVC) yesterday, Ogunye said rushing to court when nothing had been breached was a violation of the constitution.
He said it was wrong for Aiyedatiwa to approach the Federal High Court instead of a state High Court, including suing Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, House of Assembly and the Chief Judge.
He urged the deputy governor to submit himself and answer the allegations levelled against him.
Counsel for the House of Assembly, Femi Emodamori, said the court could only intervene when there were breaches of the law.
He said: “His excellency hasn’t even been served. The notice was initiated by 11 members of the House, more than one-third required, he didn’t wait to be served.
“The law said it should be served within seven days. He rushed to court the following day when he hasn’t been served, saying it’s violation of his right.”
Role For Akeredolu
Governor Akeredolu has been urged to be magnanimous on the issue of the impeachment of his deputy. He was advised to intervene with a view of resolving it.
An Abuja-based lawyer, Donald Ayibiowu, said yesterday that the governor needed to be circumspect by interrogating events during his absence, in order not to make the embattled deputy governor a scapegoat for what he wasn’t solely responsible for.
He said the governor did not need the distraction of impeachment in his strive to put the state back on the pedestal of development with his return from his recovery break.
Ayibiowu, in an open letter to the governor said the impeachment move by the House of Assembly against Aiyedatiwa was unnecessary, noting that when Akeredolu was away, the state was left near rudderless by a combination of factors ranging from debilitating politicking, to rumour mongering, sycophancy, etc.
He said what the state required of Akeredolu on his return was leadership, restraint, caution and focus on the governance of the state.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
