AS varied reactions trailed the movement of Osun State governorship election petition tribunal to Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court No 24, Apo, Abuja, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State, on Sunday charged the National Judicial Commission (NJC) to investigate the development.
This is just as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) declared that it had no objection to the movement of the tribunal sitting to Abuja.
Describing the relocation of the sitting of the 3-member tribunal to Abuja as another sign that “there is a desperate and evil plan by some forces to implement a pre-written script on the proceedings and outcome of its petition, the PDP in a statement signed by the party’s chairman in Osun, Hon Soji Adagunodo argued that there was no justifiable reason for the relocation.
According to the statement, which was made available to TribuneOnline in Osogbo, party said though “it was not shocked by the relocation of the sitting of the tribunal away from Osogbo, in view of the several boastings of prominent APC leaders to that effect in the last few weeks, it is very disappointing that a very important institution like the judiciary would allow itself to be cheaply manipulated by unscrupulous elements in the political space.”
The statement reads thus, “The PDP recalled that the new panel was constituted in a very controversial manner by the President of the Court of Appeal whose family affinity with the All Progressive Congress has been an issue of concern to Nigerians who had wondered why the initial panel was disbanded without any justifiable reason.”
We believe that the decision to relocate the tribunal sitting to Abuja was also without any justifiable reason because there had been no reports on any security breach neither had there been any other cogent factor that could have necessitated the action. It was very probable that those who took the decision without consultation with counsels of the petitioners did so partly to prevent the good people of Osun State from observing the proceedings of the tribunal and also to make it easier for the Federal authorities to influence its outcome.”
“We want to remind Honourable members of the tribunal of the dictum of the eminent jurist Niki Tobi JSC that “The true test of a fair hearing is the impression of a reasonable person who was present at the trial whether from his observation justice has been done. We also reiterate that apart from the court of public opinion which the conduct of the tribunal will be subjected to, there is also a burden on the tribunal members to justify the expectations of God from those who hold such sacred offices and who are called upon to do justice without fear or favour.”
But, the APC averred that they were not opposed to the relocation of the tribunal sitting to Abuja, contending that “it is a legal process permitted by the law of Nigeria. We support the movement, so long it dispenses justice fairly and without favour.”
In a press release signed by the director of publicity, research and strategy of the APC in Osun, Barrister Kunle Oyatomi, the party said “we like to point out to the PDP and its candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke that by the fact on the ground of the two elections, and the official and legitimate pronouncement of the results of those elections by INEC, the mandate of the people of Osun remains that of Alhaji Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola and not for Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke; not as the PDP is claiming.”
“Unless and until that reality is overturned by the courts, the mandate for the governorship of the state by Osun people remains that of the APC candidate, Alhaji Oyetola. So, they should stop talking nonsense about a stolen mandate.”