Following the reservation of the Appeal Court judgment on the outcome of 2018 Osun Governorship Election, a group of Civil Rights Organizations, have raised the alarm against an alleged attempt by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, through its National leader, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu to compromise the ruling of the Appeal court.
The group said that Tinubu was hell-bent on the favourable outcome of the Appeal panel because of the appellant, Gboyega Oyetola, in the matter, who is Tinubu elder sister’s son.
The new ploy hinged on the public outcry which led to the replacement of an Osun State Born jurist and a close associate of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Rauf Aregbesola and Chief Bisi Akande of the ruling APC, Hon. Justice JOK Oyewole of Enugu Appeal Court Division by assigning him (Justice Oyewole) to serve as interface between the Appeal Court Panel and Bola Tinubu/APC camp.
The group, in a statement to DAILY POST on Wednesday, signed by Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman, its Executive Chairman, alleged that it has been informed by a source close to the Appeal Court that Hon. Justice JOK Oyewole has been detailed to be relating with the appellate court jurists after their grandstanding to include him (Justice Oyewole) into the appeal panel failed, adding that it was the reason why they could not make the names of the panel Judges public before the sitting for public scrutiny.
While urging Nigerians and lovers of democracy all over the world to rise up in defence of sanctity of judiciary as the last hope of common man in the society, it strongly condemned the latest hanky-panky game of Senator Bola Tinubu and his party, APC, promising that they would
not allow them to subvert the electoral will of the good people of Osun State as being upheld by the majority judgment of lower Tribunal.
It further alleged that the ruling party (APC) had also assigned Justice Oyewole through the backdoor at the stage of writing the majority and minority Judgment of the panel which would ensurevictory to the appellant (Mr. Goyega Oyetola) in the governorship election petition appeal.
It added that Justice Oyewole had been mandated to come up with the template for rerun as final judgment of the appeal in the next few weeks in order to have replica of INEC illegal rerun of September 27th, 2018 that gave the ruling party (APC) upper hand to manipulate
the said electoral process where they prevented the opposition voters from the polling units by the ruling party hiring political thugs led Mr. Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo.
Rising from its expanded monthly meeting in Lagos, the group under the aegis of Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) including; Centre for Constitutional Rights and Counter Corruption Crusader, Save Lagos Group(SLG) ,The Conscience Mainstream(TMG),African Masses Voices for Survival (AMVS),The Christians Youths for the Peoples’ Rights and Development(CYPRD),Islamic Movement for Muslims’ Rights(IMMR),Divine Nigerians Liberators for Peoples’ Fundamental Rights(DNLPFR).
Others were; The Christian Awareness Mission Group(CAMG),Passengers Fundamental Rights Group(PATRGIA),The Political Awareness Group(TIPAG),Centre for Social Justice and Equity of Nigeria(CESJEN),Veteran Groups for Operation Clean Crusade(VGOCC),Apata-Aiyeraye Social Political Volunteer Group (ASPVG) and De-Mainstream Independent Group(DIG).
The leader of the groups, Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman who disclosed through a signed statement which copies were made available to newsmen, stated that, “they would not do anything to undermine the nation’s judiciary as the last arbiter for all and sundry and they would not want to prejudice the outcome of the Appeal panel which they believe it would do justice to the matter before it by giving victory to the good people of Osun State.
While also commending the Court of Appeal President, for heeding the call of well-meaning Nigerians on the previous inclusion of Justice JOK Oyewole in Osun Governorship Appeal panel. the groups maintained that the replacement with Hon. Justice Femi Akeju was just like half and a dozen because Justice Akeju has a paternal relationship with Ambassador Rufus Akeju who is a nominee of Senator Bola Tinubu/ Lagos State government as a Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the country’s electoral umpire(INEC) presently.
The statement stated added, ” as a reputable Civil Society Organizations, we would not fold our arms and allow the fresh plot by the anti-democratic forces pretending to be Democrats, to take its root before crying out and we are here to expose every yoke of hidden agenda to subvert the Will of God on the good people of Osun State in respect of September 22nd, 2018 governorship election.
It, therefore, call on the United Nation and national and international organizations to beam searchlight on the panel members and their aides through the period before delivering its judgment in order to free the panel from being influenced by any party in the case.
It would be recalled that the lower tribunal in the majority judgment of March 22, 2019 had voided the victory of Oyetola and the APC in the last year’s Osun governorship election and Oyetola and his party, APC dissatisfied with the tribunal decision have approached the Court of Appeal.
