An Ikeja High Court, on Thursday, struck out a suit filed by former Lagos governor Akinwunmi Ambode seeking to stop his probe by the state House of Assembly over the purchase of 820 buses under his Bus Reform Project.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya ruled that the ad-hoc committee set up by the Lagos State House of Assembly to investigate the former governor was a fact-finding committee.
Ambode had instituted the civil suit against the state Assembly, Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and the Clerk of the House, Mr. A.A. Sanni. Other respondents include Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee set up by the House to probe the procurement of the buses, Mr. Fatai Mojeed, and eight other members of the committee.
But the court ruled that an investigation did not amount to an indictment.
Justice Adesanya said, “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.
“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.”