A reputable civil rights group, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has raised alarm over the alleged involvement of the National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) in the composition of the Appeal Court Panel Judges which lead to the alleged inclusion of Justice Joseph Olubunmi Kolawole Oyewole into the panel.
The group revealed that it was reliably informed by the
sources close to the Office of the Court of Appeal President that the
leadership of the ruling party (APC) were consulted before the
composition of the current Appeal Tribunal Panel on 2018 Osun
governorship election, saying that the ruling party were not comfortable
with the landmark majority judgment of the Lower Tribunal that declared
opposition Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) candidate, Senator Nurudeen
Ademola Adeleke as the winner of the September 22nd, 2018 guber
election in the State.
To show its grouse over the action, CHRSJ
wrote a Petition Letter dated 18th of April, 2018 and forwarded to the
Court of Appeal President which is constitutionally saddled with the
responsibility of constituting the Governorship Election Appeal Panel
over alleged inclusion of Justice JOK Oyewole in the panel. It also
copies the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Senate
President,Speaker,House of Representatives, National Human Rights
Commission(NHRC) and International communities for their urgent and
necessary action on the subject matter.
According to the signed
Petition Letter by the CHRSJ’s Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi,
Alimi Sulaiman and also contained in a Press Statement made available to
newsmen on Thursday, demanded for the outright removal of Justice
Oyewole from the Panel.
The Petition Letter read thus; “We have
it on good authority that Hon. Justice JOK Oyewole is one of the
Justices to be appointed by your good self to serve in the Appeal
Tribunal of the 2018 Osun Governorship Election Petition. It is our
belief that anybody that would serve in such exalted position in the
temple of justice must be above board in all ramifications which the
said Hon. Justice Oyewole could not be categorized as one of such
jurists in the panel.
“It is to inform your good self that
Justice JOK Oyewole is a benefactor of the appellants in the said
Election Petition and it would be difficult for Justice Oyewole to
dispense justice without bias. CHRSJ also wishes to inform you good
authority that Mr. Gboyega Oyetola who is the 2nd Respondents (now
appellants) in the Governorship Election Petition is a Nephew of APC
National Leader, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the then Chief of Staff
in immediate past Rauf Aregbesola’s government.
“Going by the
history and Oyewole’s background, Mr. Justice Oyewole is a native of Ila
Orangun in Ila Local Government area of Osun State but began his(
Justice Oyewole) Law Practice in Lagos State as a pupil Lawyer where the
Asiwaju of Ila Orangun and Former Acting Chairman of APC , Chief Bisi
Akande introduced him( Justice Oyewole) to the then Governor of Lagos
State(now APC National Leader) , Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu where Oyewole
was nominated as Magistrate in Lagos State and later elevated to become
the Lagos State Judge through recommendation to the National Judicial
Council (NJC) by the Lagos State government.
“More so, the
immediate past Osun State government which the Appellant (Mr. Gboyega
Oyetola) serve as Chief of Staff planned to nominate Justice JOK Oyewole
through the State Judicial Service Commission to be the Chief Judge of
Osun State while he was a Judge in the Lagos State Judiciary. We rose up
to forestall their judicial selfish agenda then and even, the Osun
State Judges signed a memo to the NJC against this act and it was the
effort of the courageous Chairman of NJC and the then Chief Justice of
Nigeria, Hon. Justice Aloma Muktar that rightly refused to accept the
nomination by insisting that the most Senior in Osun bench should be
recommended”.
The letter further stated; “Later, the then Osun
Governor, Mr. Aregbesola of APC presented Justice Oyewole to the NJC in
2013 to use Osun’s slot to be elevated to the Court of Appeal. There is
still rumpus in Osun State today and you will see that Justice Oyewole
got to the Court of Appeal through the efforts of Tinubu/
Aregbesola/Oyetola. May Lord ma, how on earth will Oyewole would not
favour the above 3 named persons in his dispensation of justice, so, he
will be definitely biased.
“Sir, allowing Justice Oyewole in the
composition of the Appellate Court jurists on 2018 Governorship Election
Petition Tribunal of Osun State would not only subvert the electoral
will of the good people of Osun State but scuttle the truth and justice
which could uplift any given society in a democratic life”.
“In
view of the above points, CHRSJ is rejecting the inclusion of Justice
JOK Oyewole in the proposed Election Petition Appeal panel because if
Justice Oyewole is part of the Governorship Election Appeal Panel, the
panel might have accommodated “a cancer” in its fold and it may get all
the body rotten”, the group submitted.
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