The Ondo State High Court, sitting in Akure, has awarded the sum of N200,000 against the state deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, over the absence of his lawyer from court on Tuesday, News About Nigeria reports.
The deputy governor’s lawyer failed to appear in court to argue the motion he filed to restrain the state Chief Judge and the House of Assembly from proceeding with the impeachment of Aiyedatiwa, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal he filed against the court judgement of October 10, 2023.
The judge, Justice O. Akintan-Osadebay, in his ruling, charged 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.
Justice O. Akintan-Osadebay, had, in an earlier judgement, dismissed Aiyedatiwa’s suit on the grounds that it would amount to an abuse of judicial process because of the earlier suit he filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, over the same impeachment matter.
However, after he dismissed the case, the deputy governor 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 Aiyedatiwa’s counsel was absent.
Justice O. Akintan-Osadebay, therefore, adjourned the hearing of the motion till Tuesday, November 7, 2023, and awarded the N200,000 fine against Aiyedatiwa for wasting the time of the court and the other parties without prior information from his lawyer that he would be absent.
