The Ondo State House of Assembly on Tuesday announced the suspension of the impeachment process against Deputy Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
The lawmakers resolved to halt the impeachment process after a closed-door meeting with Abdullahi Ganduje, the All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
The APC leadership had set up a nine-man reconciliation committee led by the former governor of Kastina State, Aminu Masari, to reconcile all aggrieved party members in the state.
The state House of Assembly had served Mr Aiyedatiwa notice of impeachment over allegations of gross misconduct.
Addressing journalists after the closed-door meeting, which lasted for about two hours, Mr Ganduje and the assembly speaker, Olamide Oladiji, announced the suspension of the impeachment process.
The meeting had in attendance members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), its Ondo State chairman, Ade Adetimehin, and 18 out of the 22 APC lawmakers led by the speaker.
After the meeting, the reconciliation committee chairman said: “For now, the probe and impeachment processes have been suspended to allow room for the committee to work.
“We met with all stakeholders, except for the governor, who we are still making an effort to see.”
The assembly speaker, who explained that the lawmakers were in Abuja at the instance of Mr Ganduje and the reconciliation committee, said they were ready to cooperate with the party.
The party’s national chairman, while appreciating all stakeholders for allowing a political solution to the impasse, said the decision by the lawmakers to ceasefire showed they are democrats and committed party faithful.
“And now, having suspended the impeachment process, they have created a conducive environment to continue dialoguing. We believe we will reach a political solution,” Mr Ganduje said.
Mr Ganduje further said the crisis in the party’s Ondo State chapter is political, saying that as a political institution, it will not fold its arms and allow it to continue.
(NAN)