The Ondo State House of Assembly says it will investigate allegations of gross misconduct leveled against Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Mr Aiyedatiwa received the letter of accusation, according to a statement by the Speaker of the House, Olatunji Oshati.
The embattled lieutenant governor has yet to react to the accusations leveled against him by lawmakers.
The lawmakers’ statement noted that “a letter of impeachment does not equate to an impeachment verdict,” adding that “in fact, the letter of impeachment delivered to the lieutenant governor marks the beginning of the impeachment proceedings.”
The legislators, however, stated that it is essential to “remember that this is a procedure based on due process, not a hasty impeachment. We are mindful of the integrity of our current assembly and will not waver in our constitutional responsibilities to our constituents.
“We want to state, unequivocally, that the entire process falls within the scope of the allegations. We are committed to examining these allegations objectively. “Our primary responsibility is to defend the integrity of our beloved state and foster accountability and transparency, even at the highest levels of government.”
Lawmakers urged their constituents to refrain from making premature judgments, saying neither the lieutenant governor nor the governor is immune from legislative action.
“The letter of accusation has been delivered and the deputy governor has the full right to defend himself. Please be assured that we are committed to following due process and will do so diligently.”
The delivery of the impeachment letter to the lieutenant governor contradicts the House’s previous position that it was not interested in impeaching the lieutenant governor.
Newslodge could not immediately speak to the lieutenant governor on Thursday evening as all his media aides were fired by the governor.
Background
The embattled Deputy Governor, Aiyedatiwa, has been in the eye of the storm lately since Governor Rotimi Akeredolu returned from Germany after a three-month medical leave.
While Akeredolu was absent, Aiyedatiwa was the acting governor, after the governor conveyed power to him through a letter addressed to the State House of Assembly.
During the three months that Akeredolu was away, there was a lull in the governance process in the state, even as there were rumors of a split in the state cabinet.
Some Akeredolu loyalists accused Aiyedatiwa of not doing enough to reject some unpleasant reports about the governor’s ill health allegedly orchestrated by the deputy governor’s media team.
Upon resuming his duties, following his return from medical leave, Governor Akeredolu dismissed all of Mr Aiyedatiwa’s media aides and transferred their functions to the state Ministry of Information and Guidance.
