The Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Hon. Olamide Oladiji says no court has the jurisdiction to prevent lawmakers from carrying out their constitutional duties including the impeachment of Governor or Deputy Governor in conformity with the constitution of Nigeria.
Oladiji, who reacted to the order of a Federal High Court stopping the impeachment of the Deputy Governor of the State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa said the court violated the principle of separation of power by interfering with the function of another arm of government.
Aiyedatiwa had through his lawyer, Adelanke Akinrata secured an ex-parte order of a Federal High Court stopping the lawmakers from processing with impeachment proceeding against him.
But the Speaker in his reaction said the embattled Deputy Governor jumped the gun by rushing to court to prevent impeachment that has not taken place.
Oladiji in a statement he personally signed and made available to Journalists said the State House of Assembly formally served Aiyedatiwa with the notice of allegation of gross misconduct, on Monday, 25th September 2023 within seven days after the notice was presented to the Speaker of the House of Assembly in conformity with Section 188(2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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He said the Notice was signed by eleven members of the House which is more than one-third of the members of the House required to sign the impeachment notice under Section 188(2) of the Constitution.
The speaker concluded that the assembly would proceed with the legislative process to a logical conclusion, in accordance with the constitutional procedures.
(Editor: Ena Agbanoma)
