Ondo assembly petitions chief judge to probe Akeredolu’s deputy

Agboola Ajayi

Ondo State House of Assembly has written to the chief judge of the state, Oluwatoyin Akeredolu, to set up a panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct levelled against Deputy Governor Agboola Ajayi.

In a letter dated July 7, Speaker Bamidele Oleyelogun asked the CJ to constitute a seven-man panel to probe Ajayi.

Part of the letter read: “By the resolution of the house today pursuant to Section 188 (3) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it was resolved that the allegations be investigated forthwith.

“It is in line with the above that request that you set up a seven-man panel to conduct the investigation as resolved by the honourable house and the panel shall, as soon as possible, report back to the House.”

The assembly had on Tuesday begun impeachment process against Ajayi who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following conflict with Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

Fourteen members of the assembly asked the clerk of the house to serve a notice of impeachment on the deputy governor; while nine lawmakers wrote to the CJ dissociating themselves from the ongoing plot to remove the deputy governor.