There was confusion on the premises of
the Ekiti State High Court on Monday as hoodlums invaded the place to
disrupt proceedings in a case challenging the eligibility of the
Governor-elect, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, to contest the June 21 governorship
election.
The
invasion took place shortly after the judge, Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi,
refused an application to set aside an order abridging the time for the
Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate to file his defence in the case
filed on behalf of socio-political group, Ekiti-11 by a member, Mr. Femi
Ajakaiye.
The judge had adjourned
sitting till 12 noon to prepare a ruling in a similar matter filed by
the Citizen Popular Party before trouble started.
As
he was preparing to return for the continuation of the matter, angry
youths besieged the court. The judge was smuggled out of the chambers
through the back door to avoid being lynched by the aggressors.
Judges,
lawyers and others in court, including journalists, ran for their lives
as the protesters went berserk and went after perceived opponents of
the PDP.
It could not be confirmed if the police made any arrest.
The hoodlums numbering about a hundred were aggrieved about the perceived partiality of the judge handling the case.
In
the ensuing melee, the Chairman of Ado West Local Council Development
Authority, Mr. Sunday Ibitoye, and Ajakaye, were attacked.
The
hoodlums had earlier engaged in an argument with securitry officials in
the court room for preventing some of them from entering the court
while allowing others in.
The
rampaging youths, who called the trial judge all sorts of unprintable
names, alleged that he was partial in handling the matter for showing
interest beyond official reasons.
The
judge, who had assumed jurisdiction in the case had ruled that he could
not reverse his decision to abridge the time as the court had become
“functus officio” having taken a decision on the issue.
Contrary
to the argument by the PDP, the court said the decision to abridge the
time did not contravene Section 32 of the 1999 Constitution.
Justice
Ogunyemi said the PDP and Fayose failed to prove beyond reasonable
doubt the reasons why the court could not hear the substantive suit.
The
judge consequently dismissed the PDP’s application, saying the court
could not set aside its own ruling of June 6, and that the time frame
had been overtaken by events, which he maintained had rendered the whole
exercise a mere academic exercise.
Commenting,
the Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Jide Awe, said,
“We are back to the Idi Amin era in Ekiti where judges and lawyers are
attacked in court. This is terrible.
“But the APC has no case in the court and we were not there to witness the attack.”
Also
commenting, the PDP Publicity Secretary, Kola Oluwawole, urged Justice
Ogunyemi to steer clear of the case alleging that he had connived with
the ruling APC.
Accusing the judge of
bias, Oluwawole said, “The judge openly demonstrated in his ruling that
he has jurisdiction on the matter and simultaneously commenced hearing
of the matter without giving the respondent the opportunity to signify
an appeal.
“The PDP also condemns the
barbaric action of the APC thugs who attacked voters that voluntarily
voted for Ayo Fayose in the last governorship election.”
