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Court reverses suspension of Ondo Deputy Speaker, three others

An Akure High Court on Friday quashed the suspension of four members of the Ondo State House of Assembly who were suspended by the leadership of the House for unparliamentary acts.

The affected lawmakers were the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Ogundeji Iroju, the only woman in the House, Mrs. Favour Tomomowo, Wale Williams and Tomide Akinribido representing Ondo Constituencies I and II.

The lawmakers, who are loyalists of the embattled Deputy Governor of the State, Hon. Agboola Ajayi, were among the nine lawmakers who refused to sign the impeachment notice against Ajayi who defected from All Progressives Congress (APC).

Three of the suspended lawmakers; Ogundeji, Tomomowo and Williams are members of APC, while Akinribido is the only member of the House on the platform of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

Displeased with the decision of the House, led by Rt. Hon. Bamidele Oleyelogun, the suspended lawmakers through their lawyer, Banjo Ayenakin, sought the protection of the court against their unlawful suspension from the House.

In his judgement, the Presiding judge, Justice Ademola Bola described the suspension as illegal, null and void and of no effect.

Justice Bola held that the House of Assembly as well as other members have no power to suspend any member of the Assembly.

The judge, in the verdict, held that the suit, which has the House of Assembly, the Speaker, the Deputy Majority Leader, Oladiji Olamide Adesanmi, the Parliamentary Secretary, Prince Abayomi Akinruntan, and the Clerk of the House, Mr. Bode Adeyelu, as defendants, violates sections 90, 91, 106 and 117 of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria.

The court held that the lawmakers must be reinstated into their positions with immediate effect.

Justice Bola ordered that a sum of N5million should be paid to each of the lawmakers as damages.

Reacting to the judgement, the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Kola Olawoye, described the judgment as no victor no vanquished.

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