From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Ondo State House of Assembly and its Speaker, Olamide Oladiji, yesterday, told the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal that parties had reached a political solution to the leadership crisis rocking the state, and consequently, withdrawn the appeal against the Deputy Governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
The deputy governor had instituted a suit against the House and Governor Rotimi Akeredolu over impeachment moves initiated against him over alleged acts of gross misconduct.
He got a reprieve from the Abuja division of the Federal High Court, which restrained the Assembly from initiating impeachment proceedings against him. The Assembly appealed against the order of the court and urged the appellate court to set aside the order of the Federal High Court on the ground that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to adjudicate on the issue.
But when the appeal came up for hearing yesterday, the appellants represented by Dr. Remi Olatubora, informed the court that he had the authority of his client to withdraw the appeal.
Olatubor informed the panel that the motion was in the interest of peace and in furtherance of the agreement to withdraw the appeal. Lawyers to the respondents, who confirmed the receipts of the motion for withdrawal told the appellate court that they were not opposed to the withdrawal.
In a short, in his ruling, Justice Tsammani held that, “the appeal having been withdrawn, is hereby dismissed.”
At the last proceeding, the appellate court had refused to grant the speaker’s request for an expedited hearing of his appeal against the judgment of the Federal High Court, which had temporarily stopped the house from going ahead with their impeachment proceedings against Aiyedatiwa.
Respondents in the appeal included the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Department of State Services (DSS) and the Chief Judge of Ondo State.