The Ondo State House of Assembly has halted the impeachment proceedings against the embattled Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
The House said it took the decision during its plenary session on Thursday, following the refusal of the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Olusegun Odusola, to set up a panel to probe the deputy governor.
The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Olatunji Oshati, who stated this on Friday, said the House would abide by the order of the court, hence the suspension of the proceedings on the impeachment.
He said: “We have considered the letter which is everywhere in the public domain and we are halting the impeachment process until the order of the Federal High Court is vacated.
“It is not about being arrogant with power, it is about holding public officers accountable. It also shows that the process of impeachment transcends the monopoly of the legislature as we can see that the judiciary has stalled it.
“This is to show that it is not about witch-hunting, it is about carrying out our oversight functions,”
Justice Odusola had on Wednesday informed the Assembly of his inability to set up the panel.
The CJ was said to have cited a subsisting court’s ex parte order restraining him from carrying out the directive of the Assembly.
A source in the Assembly, who confirmed the development to PUNCH said, “The CJ has reached out to Mr. Speaker that he cannot set up a 7-member panel to probe the deputy governor as directed by the House, claiming that his hands are tied by the ex parte order issued by Justice Emeka Nwite, stopping the impeachment process.”
