The Ondo State High Court, sitting in Akure, the state capital, on Tuesday, awarded the sum of N200,000 against the state deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, over the failure of his lawyer to appear in court.
Aiyedatiwa’s counsel was said not to have appeared in the court to argue the motion he filed to restrain the state Chief Judge and the House of Assembly from proceeding on his impeachment pending the hearing and determination of the appeal he filed against the court judgement of 10 October 2023.
The court also asked the deputy governor to pay N50,000 each to the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Clerk, and the state Chief Judge who are the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth respondents respectively, in the suit.
The judge, Justice O. Akintan-Osadebay, had earlier dismissed Aiyedatiwa’s suit on the grounds that it would amount to an abuse of judicial process, in view of the earlier suit which he filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, over the same impeachment matter.
After the case had been dismissed, Aiyedatiwa filed a notice of appeal together with an application that the court should restrain the Assembly and the Chief Judge from proceeding with the impeachment, pending the hearing and determination of his appeal.
When the case was called on Tuesday, at the court in Akure, the counsel for the Assembly and the state Chief Judge were in court, but the deputy governor’s counsel was absent.
Counsel for the Assembly, Femi Emodamori, informed the court that the motion for injunction was earlier adjourned till Tuesday, based on the agreement of both parties and wondered why Aiyedatiwa’s counsel was absent and allegedly did not write the court over his absence.
Justice O. Akintan-Osadebay adjourned the hearing of the motion till 7 November 2023, and awarded the N200,000 cost against Aiyedatiwa for wasting the time of the court and the other parties.
