The former Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode has lost the bid to get a court injunction to prevent the State House of Assembly from probing him.
Ruling on Ambode’s application on Thursday, Justice Yetunde Adesanya of the Lagos state High Court held that the court lacked the jurisdiction to stop the lawmakers from going ahead with the probe.
The former governor had asked the court for an order to stop the lawmakers from probing him about the 820 buses which he purchased during his administration without the approval of the Assembly.
The Lagos State House of Assembly had asked Ambode to appear before its committee at 1 p:m today (Wednesday), to clear issues on some financial transactions that took place under his administration.
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Obasa had constituted a 16-member ad-hoc committee under the chairmanship of Hon. Fatai Mojeed (Ibeju-Lekki I) to probe the procurement of the 820 high-occupancy vehicles, bought by the Ambode administration under its Bus Reform Initiative (BRI).
Apart from the bus procurement probe, the speaker had also mandated the ad-hoc committee to investigate other iconic projects – Imota Rice Mill, Oshodi Transport Exchange and LED-UK Streetlight project, among others, which Ambode executed in the second half of his administration.
However, in a move that is likely to stall the hearing, Ambode has asked the court to declare that the power of the state Assembly to pass a resolution, under Section 128(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) to direct an investigation into his conduct whilst being governor was subject to his right to a fair hearing as guaranteed by Section 36(1) of the constitution.
He also asked the court to declare the resolution to investigate all transactions in respect of the 820 buses allegedly bought by him derogated his right as guaranteed by Section 36(1) of the constitution and therefore was unconstitutional null and void.
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He also asked the court for a declaration that “having regard to the provisions of sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the Appropriation Law of Lagos State 2018, Sections 8 and 9 of the law, which required the approval of the House of Assembly of Lagos State before certain expenditure of money is incurred by the executive branch of the state is not in accord with any provision of the constitution and accordingly is unconstitutional null and void.”
Another relief sought by him is that it was unlawful for the defendants to represent or continue to represent to the public that he procured 820 buses in breach of budgetary approval.
Listed as defendants in the suit are the Lagos State House of Assembly, the Speaker of the Assembly, the Clerk of the Assembly and members of the ad-hoc committee investigating him.
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