Former Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s suit seeking an injunction to restrain the State House of Assembly from probing him has been dismissed by the state High Court.
The Lagos State High Court on Thursday voided Mr Ambode’s suite, asking to stop the state house of assembly from probing him over alleged fraud-related issues.
The Mudashiru Obasa led house of assembly had in October 2019, subpoenaed Mr Ambode to give accounts of some financial dealings under his administration.
The house also set a nine-man ad-hoc committee to investigate the purchase of over 800 buses for mass transit by his administration.
In reaction to the invitation, an ex-parte motion was moved by Tayo Oyetibo, Ambode’s lawyer, in a suit against the state assembly.
According to the statement of claim before the court, the ex-governor said the procurement of the buses was well captured in the 2018 appropriation bill which was duly approved by the house.
“In section 1 of the Bill, the 1st Defendant (House of Assembly) authorized the total Budget for the year 2018 to be One Trillion, Forty Six Billion, One Hundred and Twenty One Million, One Hundred and Eighty-One Thousand, Six Hundred and Eighty Naira (N1,046,121,181,680.00) comprising the sum of Three Hundred and Forty Seven Billion, Thirty-Eighty Million, Nine Hundred and Thirty-Eight Thousand, Eight-Hundred and Seventy-Two Naira (N347,038,938,872.00) only and Six Hundred and Ninety-Nine Billion, Eighty-Two Million, Two Hundred and Forty-Two Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty Naira (N699,082,242,808.00) only as the Recurrent and Capital Expenditures respectively,” the statement read.
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“Part of the items authorized by the Bill under Capital Expenditure was: “LAGBUS Public Transport Infrastructure (MEPB); Part financing of 820 buses” which was item 8 under schedule 1- Part C of the Bill.”
The former governor further asked the court for an order to stop his probe by the lawmakers over the purchase of 820 buses.
However, on Thursday 27 February 2020, Justice Yetunde Adesanya, ruling on the application, held that the court lacked the jurisdiction to stop the lawmakers from going ahead with the probe.
Ambode, who has been facing running battle with the Lagos State House of Assembly since expiration of his tenure, may be subpoenaed again over allegations of financial handlings and purchase of buses while he was the state governor.
