Ondo State High Court, sitting in Akure, the state capital, handed down a N200,000 fine to the state deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, for failing to appear in court.
Aiyedatiwa’s counsel was claimed to have failed to appear in court to argue the motion he filed to prevent the state Chief Judge and the House of Assembly from proceeding with his impeachment pending the hearing and judgement of the appeal he filed against the October 10, 2023 court judgement.
The court also ordered the deputy governor to pay N50,000 to the Speaker of the House of Assembly, the Clerk, and the state Chief Judge, who are the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth defendants in the claim, respectively.
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.
However, 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 November 7, 2023, and awarded the N200,000 cost against Aiyedatiwa for wasting the time of the court and the other parties.