Fears over planned postponement of ruling on Jegede’s appeal

By Osagie Otabor, Akure

There are fears among chieftains and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State over alleged plot by the Appeal Court to postpone ruling on the appeal filed by Eyitayo Jegede on the election of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

The three man panel led by Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji-Abadua had fixed Wednesday, June 15th as the date to deliver judgment on the appeal.

Counsel to Jegede, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, had urged the appellate court to sack Governor Akeredolu and his Deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa on grounds that they were not properly nominated by their party.

But Counsel to Akeredolu, the APC and INEC; Akin Olujimi, Lateef Fagbemi and Charles Edosanmwon respectively insisted that the petition bothered on a pre-election matter.

A chieftain of the Ondo APC who pleaded anonymity said the fears over
alleged move to shift the date from Wednesday was based on information that filtered out that a minister was working with a serving governor from the North Eastern part of the country and a senior member of the Bench from the North West including the national leadership of the umbrella body of Fulani cattle breeders, Miyetti Allah.

The APC chieftain said a North East Governor is believed to be close ally of Jegede.

Another source said the Miyetti Allah believed that the continued stay of Governor Akeredolu was not in the interest of the Fulani ethnic nationality.

According to the source, “Of course, Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians and the way the Ondo state governor is going, he is against the Fulani people and our safety is not guaranteed under him at all. How can such a man that benefited from the Fulani to become governor set up what he calls Amotekun to be tormenting us.

“Did we make a mistake to support him against our own man who had spent all his life in Fulani territory in Adamawa, someone who can speak our own Fulfude language in the 2020 election?

“If we made a mistake, we are now going to correct that mistake by partnering with someone we understand and who knows us better to be there. Or is it not when Akeredolu is governor that he can threaten the unity of this country by asking some people to leave a place in Nigeria?

Read Also: Akeredolu resumes, hails Jegede at 60

Governor Akeredolu had been in the lead to checkmate activities of criminal herdsmen by spearheading the establishment of the South-West Security Network codenamed Amotekun Corps.

When contacted for comments, Ondo Commissioner for Information, Donald Ojogo, wondered what the serving Minister hoped to achieve by removing an APC Governor to install a PDP administration.

He said, “We don’t want to subscribe to the fact that any minister who is a member of the APC would want to cut corners to undermine and possibly unseat Akeredolu because of the views he holds strongly on national issues.

“There is nothing personal in whatever the governor has said. So to remove an APC governor and enthrone PDP and achieve what? I doubt it can ever happen, the Nigerian Judiciary is not that low and it cannot start with this.

“As regards whether or not the date would be shifted is at the discretion of the Honourable Panel which comprises eminent and distinguished jurists. We are not inclined to discussing that.”

Leader of Miyetti Allah in Ondo State, Alhaji Garuba Bello, denied the allegation.

“That is a big lie. Miyetti Allah does not have the capability to say we don’t want a particular governor. No one can make that kind of decision in Miyetti Allah, even from the national level to state level.”

Spokesman for the Ondo PDP, Kennedy Peretei, accused Governor Akeredolu and the APC of mounting pressure on the Appeal Court Panel to shift the ruling

“It is not true, nothing like that from our camp here.

“It is the APC and Akeredolu camp that are trying to mount pressure on the Panel through the CJN. But we believe in the judges, they are capable and will do justice accordingly.

“We don’t need to put pressure on the judges to postpone the judgement.”