The stay of execution filed by the leadership of the Ondo State House of Assembly against the judgement of the High Court reinstating three suspended lawmakers has been dismissed by the Court of Appeal.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure on Wednesday queried the appellants for bringing a frivolous suit before the court.
Following the development, Justice Folayemi Omoleye directed the state legislature which was represented by the Solicitor-General of the State, Mr Cyril Akinrinsola, to immediately allow the suspended lawmakers to resume legislative functions without hindrance.
The stay of execution appeal was against the High Court judgement that reinstated the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Iroju Ogundeji, Hon. Wale Williams and Hon. Favour Tomomewo.
In his reaction, Iroju described the ruling as justice for humanity as he emphasized that hope is still alive in the nation’s judicial system.
According to him, the speaker of the house, Hon. Bamidele Oleyelogun had on the 8th of July 2020 called him, Hon.Wale Williams and Hon. Favor Tomomewo to his office before the parliamentary session to inform us that the Governor of the State and the Party Chairman of the APC had ordered that they all should be suspended. This he was as a result of their refusal to sign the illegal and unconstitutional removal of the Deputy Governor of the State, Hon. Agboola Ajayi.
According to him, he explained that they had to query the speaker and his source of authority to engage in such act, telling him that they will attend the plenary session even after the Speaker had threatened them and had warned them never to again set their foot at the premises of the State House of Assembly.
He further explained that they attended the plenary that day and he carried out the suspension plan, but instead of them to respond in an unconstitutional way, they decided not to take the law into their hands. Instead they sought redress at the Court of Competent Jurisdiction which was the last hope for the common man.
“ The Court gave us judgement after a thorough examination of our case and all the evidence presented, the court directed that we should be reinstated back to our offices and all our entitlement be paid to us, a sum of 5 million naira cost was awarded to us by the court”
He further stated that they were surprised to see that on the day when they were to resumed back to the House of Assembly, the Speaker and the Chairman of the NURTW had mobilized thugs and hoodlums to harass us, stopping us from gaining entry into the premises.
“I can’t believe the inhumanity of a man to another man, this act can only happen in a lawless state”
Responding to this allegations, the speaker of the house, Hon. Bamidele Oleyelogun denied ever inviting the Chairman of the NURTW or mobilizing hoodlums to harass or intimidate anyone, stating that the NURTW Chairman had come for a different function entirely on his own.
“Now that the court has granted us victory, I use this opportunity to call on the leadership of the house to do the needful, he should stop taking laws into his hands as nobody is above the law” Hon. Iroju added
Recall that on August 28, 2020, an Akure High Court had quashed the suspension of the lawmakers after the Presiding Judge, Justice Ademola Bola described the suspension as illegal, null and void and of no effect.
The lawmakers who are loyal to the embattled Deputy Governor of the State, Hon. Agboola Ajayi was among the nine lawmakers who refused to sign the impeachment notice against Ajayi who defected from the All Progressives Congress, APC.