The Chief Judge of Ondo State, Justice Oluwatoyin Akeredolu, on Friday said she would not constitute any seven-man panel being requested by some members of the House of Assembly to probe the deputy governor, Agboola Ajayi, over an allegation of gross misconduct and other impeachable offences against him.
According to Justice Akeredolu, the matter of impeachment was already a subject of litigation (sub judice).
Recall that the Assembly led by its Speaker, Bamidele Oleyelogun, on Thursday, asked the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Akeredolu, to set up a seven-man panel to investigate notice of gross misconduct levelled against the Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi.
But, the Chief Judge on Friday predicated her action on the fact that the figure required by the 1999 constitution for setting up of such a probe panel has not been met.
Only 14 out of the 26 members of the Assembly signed the impeachment notice with nine members dissociating themselves from the impeachment plot.
The nine members have also written a letter to the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Akeredolu dissociating themselves from the ongoing plans to impeach the deputy governor of the state.
Justice Akeredolu in a letter she personally signed and made available to journalists in Akure, said, “the Governor or Deputy Governor of a state may be removed from office in accordance with the provisions of this section. Whenever a notice of any allegation in writing signed by not less than one-third of the members of the House of Assembly is presented to the Speaker of the House of Assembly of the state.
“Stating that the holder of such office is guilty of gross misconduct in the performance of the functions of his office, detailed particulars of which shall be specified, the speaker of the House of Assembly shall within seven days of the receipt of the notice, cause a copy of the notice to be served on the holder of the office and on each member of the House of Assembly and shall also cause any statement made in reply to the allegation by the holder of the office to be served on each member of the House of Assembly.
“A motion of the House of Assembly that the allegation be investigated shall not be declared as having been passed unless it is supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds majority of all the members of the House of Assembly.
“The notice to be served on him must state that he is guilty of gross misconduct in the performance of the functions of his office and must be specify the particulars of the gross misconduct. He must be allowed to respond to the allegations.”
