A Lagos High Court in Ikeja yesterday ordered the Lagos State House of Assembly to halt probe of former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode pending the determination of the case filed by the former governor against the Assembly.The court adjourned the matter brought before it by Ambode, against the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, in connection with the ongoing probe of procurement of 820 buses by Ambode’s administration.
Justice Y.A. Adesanya adjourned till November 20, 2019 for the respondents in the matter to respond to the plaintiff’s application.The adjournment followed a request by the lawmakers’ lawyer, Adenike Osinowo, for time to study Ambode’s suit and file appropriate response.Osinowo said the court processes were served on her late on Tuesday and would need an adequate time to regularise the position of the respondents.
The lead counsel to the respondents said: “We were served the notice very late yesterday and we shall be opposing the application. We are asking for a date to regularise our processes.”Following the adjournment at the instance of both counsel, Justice Adesanya also ordered the parties to maintain the status quo pending the outcome of the case.
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Meanwhile, the joint committees of the Lagos State House of Assembly probing the activities of Ambode yesterday bowed to the ruling of the court to stay action on the matter and adjourned the matter until further notice.While addressing journalists on the matter yesterday, Fatal Mojeed stated that the matter was adjourned indefinitely as the committee got court summon to stay action on the matter and that they had to respect the opinion of the court.
He said: “We are lawmakers, we are not law breakers, which was why we had to adjourn the matter indefinitely. The people of Lagos should be expecting more from us,” he said.
Also speaking, Gbolahan Yishawu, who said that the House was not trying to witch-hunt anybody or put anybody on the spot for any reason, stressed that the Assembly was not being pushed by any individual on the matter.However, Mr. Olaniran Obele from the chambers of Mr. Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), the counsel of Ambode, protested that they were not allowed into the committee meeting.
Obele stated that they were at the Assembly to hand over the court summon to the Chairman of the Committee and the Speaker of the House, but that the summon was not accepted and that they were prevented from witnessing the committee meeting.
