Court Reinstate Ogundeji,Sacks Aderoboye as Ondo Deputy Speaker

Hon. Iroju Ogundeji

The  High Court sitting in Akure has ruled that the  appointment of Mr Samuel Aderoboye as the Deputy Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly is null and  void, ordered the reinstatement of Ogundeji Iroju as the substantive Deputy Speaker of the Assembly.

The Court presided by Justice Adetan Osadebey described as illegal, null and void the purported removal of Ogundeji as the Deputy Speaker on November 24, 2020 by some members of the Assembly.

The leadership of the House in 2020 had removed Ogundeji as a deputy speaker of the Assembly following his disagreement  with the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr David Oleyeloogun over the plan to remove from office, a former Deputy Governor of the State, Chief Agboola Ajayi.

The Assembly later appointed Aderoboye as the Deputy Speaker, the position he was occupying as at the time of the court judgment .

While having a displeased with the action of the Assembly, Ogundeji through his lawyer, Mr Wale Omotoso SAN approached the court describing the decision of the Assembly as nullity since the purported impeachment did not follow the constitutional requirements.

The lawmaker note that his purported removal contravened order two section 9(1-10) of the rules and standing order of the State House of Assembly saying the law required two-third majority of the members before any of the principal officers of the Assembly could be impeached.

However, the Assembly through the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Charles Titiloye said the impeachment followed due process as the impeachment proceeding was served through substituted means.

In her verdict, Justice Osadebey said the the lawmaker was not given fair hearing as the purported impeachment had been carried out before a panel to investigate him was set up by the Assembly. This, she held was like putting the cart before the horse. She said the claimant was not personally served by the impeachment proceedings, which made it a nullity.

The judge further said there was no parliamentary resolution before the purported impeachment was carried out and that not all members were present during the impeachment as required by the rules of the Assembly and the 1999 constitution.

The court held that signing of parliamentary meeting attendance was not tantamount to consent as nine out of 26-member Assembly dissociated themselves from the purported impeachment.

Subsequently, the court ordered that Ogundeji should be reinstated and all his entitlements paid up-to-date while his paranephelia of office should be restored immediately just as the appointment of Aderoboye was described as nullity.

The Judge also awarded N10million as damages for the humiliation suffered by the lawmaker during his purported impeachment and suspension from the Assembly.

In his reaction to the judgment, Hon. Iroju Ogundeji posits that the judgment portray hopes of common man in the judiciary.