Ondo Deputy Governor appeals high court decision on impeachment proceedings

Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the Ondo Deputy Governor has filed an appeal challenging the recent ruling of the Akure High Court that favoured the impeachment proceedings initiated by the Ondo State House of Assembly against him.

In a development reported by PoliticsNow, the Deputy Governor lodged his appeal through a Notice submitted to the Akure High Court’s registry on Tuesday, October 10, 2023. The appeal consists of five primary grounds, each contesting the judge’s previous decision.

One of the grounds of appeal argues that the judge committed a legal error by consolidating the hearing of the Deputy Governor’s application for an amendment with the House of Assembly’s application challenging the court’s jurisdiction. This action, according to the appellant, resulted in a violation of his right to a fair hearing.

Another crucial ground of appeal contends that the judge incorrectly concluded that the case amounted to an abuse of the court process. The appellant asserts that the parties involved and the subject matter in the Akure case are distinct from those in the Abuja case.

Consequently, the appellant is urging the Court of Appeal to overturn the judge’s ruling.

The Ondo Deputy Governor had initially filed the case contesting his impeachment on September 25, 2023. On October 6, 2023, the court received arguments from both parties’ legal representatives and subsequently issued its ruling on October 10, 2023, in which it determined that the case constituted an abuse of the court’s processes.