PDP petitions Ekiti CJ over Fayose’s eligibility suit The Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State has asked the Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, to reassign a case challenging the eligibility of the Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, to contest in the June 21 election won by him. The party alleged that the All Progressives Congress in the state was mounting pressure on the CJ to compel Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi to continue hearing the case. But the APC has challenged the PDP to tender evidence of its influence in the matter, saying the judiciary was competent to conduct its affairs with fairness and justice. In a petition signed by the PDP State Chairman, Chief Idowu Faleye, and sent to Justice Daramola, the party raised the likelihood of bias against Justice Ogunyemi. The petition read in part, “We are surprised, however, to be informed that the same judge, Hon. Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi had resumed sitting over the same case he had voluntarily withdrawn from. “When we probed why the same judge, whose action caused unmitigated crisis in the state prior to the swearing in of the new governor of the state and a party in the case, we were informed that the National Judicial Commission directed him to resume sitting over the case. “However, our investigation at the NJC proved to the contrary. Our source at the NJC asked a rhetorical question of when the NJC has become the assigning judge of cases pending before a state high court.” Faleye claimed in the petition that authoritative sources informed his party that Ogunyemi was being compelled by the plaintiffs, the opposition party in the state (APC) and their foreign sponsors to deliver as earlier promised in an agreement. He added that the only way out of the problem was to allow another judge to assume jurisdiction over the case, so that all parties to the case could have confidence in the judicious and judicial determination of the case. The PDP state chairman maintained that his party and the governor had lost confidence in Justice Ogunyemi’s continued handling of the case. But the Publicity Secretary of Ekiti APC, Mr. Taiwo Olatunbosun, advised the PDP to face its case and stop disturbing the opposition. He said, “Everyone who wants considerably sustainable democracy will want justice and fairness. It is not the duty of our party to push for hearing of cases before the judiciary. Since judiciary is a temple of justice and the only place where justice can be dispensed, aggrieved parties must be encouraged to go to court. It will enhance our nascent democracy. “As a party, there is no record that we are before the court. We are not mounting pressure on the CJ. Is it that we have written a letter to the CJ? Why should we mount pressure on the CJ? The judiciary is competent to handle cases before it. “If they have evidence of such, they should make it public. What should be uppermost in the minds of Nigerians not minding who is involved is that justice must prevail.” Olatunbosun advised the PDP to stop suspecting the judiciary over nothing. “If anyone thinks he can gag the judiciary, the judiciary is in better position to assert itself. Whoever that is aggrieved and before the judiciary must expect fair hearing. No one should be deprived of his constitutional right to seek redress,” he added. On September 22, political thugs invaded the Ekti State High Court presided over by Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi to disrupt proceedings in the case filed by two members of the Ekiti-11, Mr. Adeniyi Ajakaiye and Olufemi Ajayi. The invasion took place shortly after the judge refused an application to set aside an order abridging the time for the PDP’s candidate to file his defence in the case. There had been an unconfirmed report that the trial judge, Justice Ogunyemi, had returned the case file to the Chief Judge.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 20:06:12 +0000
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