Chief Judge Declines Ondo Assembly’s Directive to Form Impeachment Panel Against Deputy Governor Aiyedatiwa

The attempt to impeach the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, faces a significant obstacle as the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Olusegun Odusola, has refused to assemble a seven-member panel as directed by the Ondo State House of Assembly.

It has been learned that Justice Odusola, in a letter addressed to the Assembly Speaker, Olamide Oladiji, cited the existence of an ex-parte order from an Abuja Federal High Court as the reason for not complying with the directive to form the panel.

This decision comes after the expiration of the seven-day deadline set by the Assembly to establish the investigative panel in response to the 14 allegations made against Deputy Governor Aiyedatiwa.

The Majority Leader of the Assembly, Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, confirmed the receipt of the letter by the Speaker. He emphasized that the impeachment proceedings are still ongoing, asserting their commitment to following due process. Ogunmolasuyi pointed out that Section 188(10) of the 1999 Constitution lays out the guidelines for impeachment proceedings, and the Assembly intends to abide by the law despite this setback.

The refusal by Chief Judge Justice Olusegun Odusola to form the impeachment panel, based on the legal order, casts uncertainty over the future of the impeachment process against Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.