A former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, has initiated a legal action against his former deputy, who is now the current Governor of the state, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, over the latter’s plan to probe the last six months of his administration.
Our correspondent learnt on Sunday that the ex- governor had filed the legal action before an Ibadan High Court on Friday.

Ladoja was also said to have engaged the services Alhaji Lasun Sanusi (SAN) to prosecute the case.

It was also learnt that the case will come up on Monday (today) before Justice Jumoke Aiki.

Alao-Akala had earlier inaugurated a six-member Judicial Commission of Enquiry, on April 29 to probe the financial transactions of Ladoja administration from December 1, 2006 to May 31, 2007.

But Ladoja had last week in a letter to Alao-Akala, asked him to represent his administration at the panel, since he was the deputy governor during the period.

The former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the Ladoja administration, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, confirmed that the suit had been filed in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday.

He added that the motion ex parte, writ of summons and motion on notice against Alao-Akala had been filed.

According to Shittu, Alao-Akala; the state‘s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Michael Lana; Chairman and other members of the panel, including the lawyer, Mr. Hamzat Sule, are joined co-defendants to the suit.

Shittu said Ladoja’s action was based on the fact that the provision of the law on which Alao-Akala took his action was contrary to the 1999 Constitution.

He said Alao-Akala, being the governor “remains the final arbiter or the Court of Appeal on the findings of the panel.”

He said, “The terms of reference of the panel were criminal in nature. A panel like that could not try criminal cases which were the exclusive preserve of the law courts.

“There is also the Public Officer Protection Law that states that any trial of any former public office holder must take place within three months after action by the affected officer has been undertaken.”

“Ladoja left office almost two years now. So, you can see the illegality of their action.”


source http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20090511382628