The Ondo State House of Assembly has insisted on the impeachment plot against the deputy governor of the state Lucky Aiyedatiwa. 

The insistence followed the refusal of Olusegun Odusola, the State Chief Judge, to set up a seven-man panel to probe the allegations of gross misconduct against Mr Aiyedatiwa.

Mr Odunsola had cited an ex parte order from a Federal High Court for his refusal to go ahead to set up the probe panel against Mr Aiyedatiwa. 

Mr Aiyedatiwa had earlier been levelled with 14 allegations of gross misconduct by the members of the State House of Assembly.  

On Friday, Olatunji Oshati, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, revealed that the House of Assembly had suspended impeachment proceedings against the deputy governor following an order of the federal high court. 

But the House of Assembly in a release issued on Saturday, reversed itself, saying it has not ‘suspended’ the process of impeachment against the deputy governor.

The House of Assembly, through its lawyer, Femi Emodamori, said it would still go ahead with the impeachment plot against Mr Aiyedatiwa since it is a constitutional process, citing Section 188 of the Nigerian constitution. 

“The House reaffirmed that it has not “suspended” the impeachment process as inaccurately reported, and will carry same through to a logical conclusion in order to determine the veracity or otherwise of the monumental allegations of gross misconduct against the Deputy Governor.

“Impeachment is a constitutional process clearly outlined in section 188 (1)-(11) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and our client has meticulously complied with all the stages leading up to the obligation placed on the State Chief Judge to set up a 7-man Panel to investigate the allegations, as stipulated in Section 188(5) of the Constitution,” a copy of the release obtained by Peoples Gazette read. 

The House of Assembly added that the allegations of gross misconduct and notice of impeachment against the deputy governor were signed by 11 members of the parliament and were presented to the speaker in strict compliance with the constitution. 

While observing that the impeachment process of the deputy governor takes stages in line with the constitution, the House of Assembly noted that it had already garnered two-thirds majority of its members.