Appeal Court threatens to arrest PDP factional chairman

The Court of Appeal, Ado Ekiti division has summoned the chairman of a faction of Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Mr. Williams Ajayi, to appear before it on Wednesday or risk arrest.

Justice Ahmad Olarewaju Belgore, who gave the order during the hearing of a motion on notice filed by Mr. Gboyega Oguntuwase-led state working committee of the party, on Monday, demanded to know why they had written a letter entitled: “Arrest of Judgment” to the presiding judge as a news publication in a national daily alleging that the Appeal Court justices of alleged plots to arrest a judgment.

Justice Belgore demanded for the level of involvement of the respondents’ counsel, Mr Niran Owoseni, in the said letter and the newspaper publication.

However, Owoseni denied knowledge of the letter and the publication and promised the presence of his clients at the next adjourned date.

The appellants’ counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who informed the court about the steps being taken to inform the lower court about the impending process at the Appeal Court, expressed dismay that the lower court went ahead to deliver judgment.

Ajayi’s faction, had in a letter dated  19th January , 2017 and signed by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Dayo Owolabi, accused the justices of the appeal court of being  conscripted into  alleged conspiracy by Gboyega Oguntuase’s group to arrest the January 24 judgement of the Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti.

The Federal High court, had earlier slated the judgment on who was the authentic chairman of the party between Oguntuse (respondent), an ally of Governor Ayodele Fayose and Ajayi (applicant), Senator Buruji Kashamu’s protégé for that date, only for the respondent to come up with a motion on notice stopping the delivery of the judgment.

He predicted his action on a motion on notice pending before the appeal court, praying for the expunction of the December 13, 2016 proceeding of the court.

Justice Taiwo Taiwo went ahead to deliver the judgment in favour of the applicants based on the argument canvassed by lawyer to Ajayi’s faction, Mr Niran Owoseni.

However, at the appellate court on Monday, at the hearing on the stay of execution of the judgment of the Federal High Court filed by the counsel for the appellant (Oguntuase), Chief Ozekhome (SAN), the justices confronted Owoseni with a copy of the letter which had earlier been submitted to the Registrar of the Appeal Court.

The justices also displayed a copy of the newspaper publication which carried the contents of the letter and instructed Owoseeni to read to the court.

The Justices said: “Are you saying you were not aware of the contents of this letter? We have our own names to protect. We could not have been party to any attempt to arrest the judgment of the High court.

“We didn’t sit on the 19th of January because one of us was indisposed and we didn’t form quorum to sit. Judiciary must not be destroyed, because if such happens the next stage is anarchy.”

Following the announcement by Wooden that the author of the letter had travelled to Abuja, the appeal court justices said “Ask him to come back or else, he will be arrested. We will issue bench warrant against him.”