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Lukman Olabiyi
Justice Yetunde Adesanya of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja has ordered the State House of Assembly to halt the ongoing probe of former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode ,pending the determination of the suit he filed against the Assembly.
Ambode had instituted a suit against the State House of Assembly, its Speaker , Mr Mudashiru Obasa, and the House Clerk, Mr A.A Sanni.
Other respondents to the suit are: Mr Fatai Mojeed, the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee set up by the House to probe the procurement of buses and eight members of the Committee.
The members of the Ad-hoc committee are; Mr Gbolahan Yishawu, Mr A.A Yusuf, Mr Yinka Ogundimu, Mrs Mojisola Meranda, Mr M.L Makinde, Mr Kehinde Joseph, Mr Temitope Adewale ,and Mr Olanrewaju Afinni.
On October 29, following a Motion Exparte moved by the counsel to Ambode, Mr Tayo Oyetibo ,(SAN), Justice Adesanya, ordered that the lawmakers should appear before the court on October 30 in connection with the ongoing probe.During the yesterday’s proceedings, the lawmakers were absent in court.
They were however, represented by a counsel, Mrs Adenike Oshinowo.
Ambode’s counsel, Oyetibo, informed the court that the respondents had been served with the court processes on Tuesday as ordered by the court.
“Your lordship directed that we serve the respondents with the court’s processes which has been done. We are ready for the motion on notice filed on October 28 , and all the originating processes have been served,” Oyetibo said.
In her response Oshinowo informed the court that the lawmakers would be opposing the Motion and that the respondents were served with the court documents very late on Tuesday.
“We were served the Motion on Notice very late yesterday ( Tuesday) ,my lord and we shall be opposing the Motion.
“We shall be asking the court for a date to regularise our processes,” she said.
Following the submission of the counsel, Justice Adesanya while adjourning the case, ordered the parties to maintain status quo.
“This case is adjourned till November 20 at the instance of both counsel for hearing,” the judge said.
The former Governor had instituted a suit against the Assembly to contest the constitutionality of the probe of the buses which were procured based on budgetary approval as part of the Bus Reform Project of the State Government designed to revolutionised public transportation.
