Ambode probe: Lawmakers say Court can’t intervene

Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have argued that an Ikeja High Court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the suit brought against the House by  Akinwunmi Ambode , the immediate past governor of the State.

The lawmakers spoke through their lawyer, Lawal Pedro, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), on Wednesday when the case came up for hearing, as they also opposed an injunction restraining them from probing Ambode.

Ambode filed the suit against the Assembly to contest the constitutionality of the lawmakers’ plan to probe the purchase of buses by the former administration, which were procured based on budgetary approval as part of the Bus Reform Project.

At the last adjourned date, the presiding judge, Yetunde Adesanya, had picked November 20, to allow the lawmakers to respond appropriately why an injunction order should not be issued against them in probing the former governor.

Appearing before the court Wednesday, the lawmakers told Adesanya that the suit filed against them by the former Governor was incompetent.

Pedro told the Court that Ambode’s counsel, Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, had filed a written reply on points of law to their motion which challenges the injunction and a written address in opposition to the preliminary objection of his client’s.

However, responding, Oyetibo confirmed receiving all the processes served on the claimant by the respondents. He said that the claimant has also responded to the processes.

Following the submission of counsel, Adesanya adjourned the suit to January 16, 2020, for the commencement of the full hearing.

Ambode had instituted the civil suit against the State House of Assembly, its Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa and the House Clerk, Azeez Sanni.

Other respondents to the suit are: Fatai Mojeed, the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee set up by the House to probe the procurement of the buses and eight members of the Committee.

The members of the Ad-hoc committee are; Gbolahan Yishawu, A Yusuf, Yinka Ogundimu, Mojisola Meranda, L. Makinde, Kehinde Joseph, Temitope Adewale, and Olanrewaju Afinni.