820 buses: Court to hear Ambode’s suit against Lagos lawmakers in January

A high court in Ikeja, Lagos, has fixed January 2020 for hearing of the suit Akinwunmi Ambode, former governor of the state, filed against the house of assembly over the procurement of 820 buses.

The lawmakers, who said the former governor acquired the buses without their approval, had set up a panel to probe him.

The panel invited Ambode but he did not appear before it and the assembly threatened to issue a warrant for his arrest.

The governor had headed to the court and the assembly was ordered to suspend its probe pending hearing of the suit.

During the court sitting on Wednesday, Yetunde Adesanya, the judge, fixed the hearing of the case for January 16.

A team of lawyers to the defendants led by Lawal Pedro and Olukayode Enitan informed the court of the counter affidavit filed in opposition to the motion for interlocutory injunction.

They also raised a notice of preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter.

Pedro said he had been served with Ambode’s written reply on point of law to the counter affidavit with a written address. However, he asked for time to react to the process served on him in court by the Ambode’s legal team.

In response, Tayo Oyetibo, Ambode’s counsel, confirmed the receipt of the preliminary objection but informed the court that the defendants were yet to file a defence to the suit.

The judge adjourned the case till January 16, 2020, for hearing, at the instance of both parties.