Alleged 820 buses purchase: Ambode wants court to stop lawmakers

A former governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, is seeking an injunction from the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, restraining the state lawmakers from probing him over his alleged purchase of 820 buses when he was governor. Having listened to arguments from the counsel to Ambode, Mr Tayo Oyetibo, and counsel to the lawmakers, Mr […]

A former governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, is seeking an injunction from the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, restraining the state lawmakers from probing him over his alleged purchase of 820 buses when he was governor.

Having listened to arguments from the counsel to Ambode, Mr Tayo Oyetibo, and counsel to the lawmakers, Mr Olukayode Enitan, the trial judge, Justice Yetunde Adesanya, fixed ruling on the validity of the suit for February 27, 2020.

Oyetibo informed the court that the lawmakers should act in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

He argued that the former governor’s rights under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution were being violated.

Ambode had filed a suit against the State House of Assembly, its Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa and the House Clerk, Mr A. A. Sanni.

But the lawmakers had, in a preliminary objection dated November 14, 2019, challenged the competence of the court to hear the suit based on three grounds.

The lawmakers said that rather than accept an invitation to attend a probe sought by the House of Assembly, Ambode “rushed” to the court.

Ambode is seeking an injunction restraining the lawmakers to compel him to appear before them pursuant to a resolution passed by the House of Assembly on August 27, 2019, as well as any other resolutions passed in respect of the probe.

The former governor is also seeking an injunction restraining the respondents from representing or continuing to represent to the public that he procured 820 buses in breach of budgetary approval.