Court okays probe of Ambode over purchase of 820 buses

Akinwunmi Ambode, former governor of Lagos state, has lost his bid to stop lawmakers from probing him over the purchase of 820 buses ‘for reform project’ during his administration.

Ambode had instituted the suit against the state house of assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, its speaker, and A.A. Sanni, the house clerk.

Other respondents are Fatai Mojeed, the chairman of the ad-hoc committee set up by the house to probe the procurement of the buses and eight members of the committee.

The lawmakers alleged that the former governor acquired the buses without their approval and 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 then headed to court which ordered the assembly to suspend its probe pending the hearing of the suit.

But on Thursday, Yetunde Adesanya, a judge of the state high court, struck out the suit, saying an investigation is not an indictment.

Adesanya ruled that the ad-hoc committee set up to investigate Ambode was a fact-finding committee.

“The claimant (Ambode) has not been indicted. An invitation by an agency of government cannot in any way cause a breach of the threat of the fundamental rights of the claimant,” she ruled

“I hereby find that the claimant’s action is an invitation to the court to cripple the legislative exercise of the statutory power of the Lagos state house of assembly under section 128 and 129 of the 1999 constitution.

“That is not the function of the court, and no court of law should accede such invitation. The claimant’s suit is hereby struck out.”