APM fingers Tinubu in Ogun Election Tribunal disbandment

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has fingered the National Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as the brain behind the dissolution of the Ogun State Governorship and House of Assembly Tribunal.

In a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the party alleged that the tribunal made up of O Onyeabo. J, D.A Oyigbenu. J and M.L Omar was disbanded without any justification in law in an attempt to install a compromised one.

Reading from a prepared text, the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, said: “The feeler is that these Honourable members are not ready to do the bidding of the Asiwaju and APC in Ogun State especially those who are trying to influence them to truncate justice at the ongoing tribunal.”

He said the panel had promised to do justice without fear or favour, noting the APM, which is a petitioner in the tribunal over the declaration of the APC candidate as the winner to the Ogun State gubernatorial election was poised to win the case.

The party boss, who assured that the APM has a watertight case before the tribunal, was of the view that the tribunal was disbanded and replaced with a judge who has a personal relationship with the APC leader to stop APM’s impending victory.

The party Chairman added: “A Judge that has a relationship with any party before him, must disqualify himself not even when such judge is now being challenged publicly,

“This new panel we are really made to understand is led by one Justice Josephine Coker, whose ascension as a Judge of the High Court of Lagos is motivated by the former Attorney General of Lagos State who is currently the Vice President of Nigeria and under former Governor of Lagos State Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, appointed her as a Judge in Lagos State during his tenure as Governor.

“It is interesting to note, that the Judge at a time was reported by Sahara Reporters in August 2015, to have a conflict of interest in a case he was presiding over and he refused to disqualify himself in the matter.

“Whether the accusation was right or wrong, there was no rejoinder to the publication neither was he the only Judge of the Lagos High Court then.

“Why was he in the news for such a bad Act?

“We make bold to say, that our petition is one that has chances of success at the tribunal and we shall not entertain any misgiving that the APC is trying to bring in through manipulating different means.

ALSO READ: 75 political parties pass vote of confidence on INEC Chairman, demand legalisation of card readers

“They brought motions to disband the panel without any cogent reasons known to law and then requested for a new panel to be reconstituted and the panel now reconstituted is being led by a Judge who may likely dance to their tune and jettison the law in their favour.

“It is no more news that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu wants a stooge that he can control to be the Governor of Ogun State and my party will make sure that a stooge will not govern Ogun State.

“We shall ensure that we cry out to Nigerians at every act of manipulation to subvert justice at the tribunal. Disbanding this panel will affect our petition.”

He said the disbandment of the tribunal was an attempt to waste the tribunal’s time to cause the petition before it to lapse.

Dantalle further stated:  “These plans would not work, as we have resolved to use this medium to tell Nigerians that we shall resist the new panel with all of our voices especially Justice Josephine Coker and his members.

“We shall ensure that they are disbanded too and I call on the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to take note of this our outcry.”

He revealed that the APM has sent a petition to the President of the  Appeal Court to set up another panel made up of people outside the South West.

According to him, “we have sent our petition to the President Court of Appeal to give us another panel who are not South West extraction, who is neutral and committed to justice, and not a South West judge who has allegiance to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu or to anybody within or outside the region.

“We are of the firm belief, that if another panel is to be constituted, such Justice should come from another geopolitical zone of the country, and not from South West of Nigeria.

“This would ensure fairness and justice to all and sundry.”

The party boss advised tribunal judges around the country to shun any attempt by “high ranking politicians” to influence them and take them away from the course of justice.