Even as the Supreme Court publicly stated on Thursday that it is not yet in receipt of a 'notice of appeal' purportedly filed by 18 lawmakers of Oyo State house of assembly who were defeated via an Appeal Court ruling over the impeachment of Chief Rasheed Ladoja last week, Nigeria's Attorney General, Chief Bayo Ojo has restated that Chief Ladoja could not return as Governor of Oyo State until the Supremem Court makes a final pronouncement on the matter that is not currently before it, also lawyers to Chief Ladoja said they are yet receive a copy of the appeal.
The Attorney General, whose "legal opinion" was sought by the Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero as an excuse for not restoring the full security detail of Governor Ladoja spoke on Sunday at a press conference in Abuja.
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Contrary to the popular legal opinion prevailing amongst seasoned lawyers in Nigeria, including the IGP, that a appeal action does not constitute a stay of execution of a judgment of the Appeal Court, the Attorney General was adamant in his support for the illegality and violation of the Appeal Court judgment perpetrated by Chief Bayo Alao-Akala and Chief Adedibu, the so-called "strongman of Ibadan politics". The stage for this declaration had been set since last week when the federal government kept mute over the landmark judgment delivered in Ibadan, Oyo State.
First, it was Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero who stated that he will stay action and maintain the status quo in Oyo State, but he was to retract his position when the Supreme Court issued a public statement to denounce his position stating that there was no appeal notice before it. The IGP quickly restored partial security detail of Chief Ladoja composed of 21 police officers without his Aide De Camp on Friday only to write Chief Ladoja's lawyers another letter on Saturday that he (Chief Rasheed Ladoja) should await the opinion of the Attorney General on the matter before resuming for duties on Monday as publicly announced, in the interest of peace.
While this was going on, Chief Hazeem Gbolarumi, the illegal deputy governor of Oyo State under Alao-Akala went on rampage with full official security detail in Ibadan city molesting and harrasing innocents citizens with full retinue of thugs armed with dangerous weapons. As a result, the PDP ward congress elections were marred by violence incited by this group leading to the death of two persons said to be loyalists of Chief Rasheed Ladoja.
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Chief Adedibu and Bayo Alao-Akala continues to brag all around Oyo State that they retain control of Oyo State. It is true! They have continued to control the instrument of state, Bayo Alao-Akala still moves around Oyo State with police escorts reinforced by the State's commissioner of police, Mr. Johnson.
But reactions are already pouring in against the role of the federal government, Ibadan indigenes in Europe has warned the Inspector General of police, Sunday Ehindero, not to truncate governor Ladoja’s court victory.
Wole Arisekola, president of Ibadan Indigenes in Europe told our reporter that over 150 officers met in London on Saturday, November 4, 2006 to deliberate on the impending political crisis brewing in Oyo State after the Court of Appeal re-instated Rasheed Ladoja as Oyo State governor.
According to Wole Arisekola, "since the judgment delivered by the Appeal Court was announced, The I.G. P has played an ambiguous and criminal silence over the matter, refusing to state the clear position of things. Instead, Ehindero has been blowing hot and cold over the issue by claiming that the Attorney General is yet to properly grant him the correct legal opinion that would aid the re-installation of Chief Ladoja to his rightful position. Whereas, in our contact with the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, we were told that the IGP being a lawyer knows the right thing to do with the development."
The publisher of the Street Journal Magazine said because of the I G P’s antics, his union is left with no other option than to petition president Obasanjo, Atiku Abubakar, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senate president, Ken Nnamani, the Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo, and the President of the European Union Commission, Mr. Jose Manuel Baroso.
Also to be petitioned are the Prime Minister of the UK, Mr. Tony Blair, the US President, George Bush, European Union Human Rights and Democracy President and Transparency International to inform them about this rape of law in Nigeria.
Also, vibrant lawyer activist Bamidele Aturu, reacted to the statements credited to the Attorney General saying it is very clear that the AG is partisan in his legal opinion on the matter, in drawing parallels between the AG's intervention in Ekiti State and Oyo State, the lawyer berated the AG, asking him to understand that his legal opinions are not equivalent to law court orders.
Bamidele Aturu's release below:
The statement credited to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN to the effect that Chief Ladoja should await the decision of the Supreme Court before being reinstated must be deprecated by all legal minds in this country. This is because it is a trite principle of law that an appeal per se does not operate as stay of execution of decisions of our courts. there is no indication that the Akala’s group has even filed and served an application for stay of execution. Even if they have already done so, it is certain that they cannot stay a declaratory judgment such as was obtained by Ladoja in the celebrated case. By descending into the arena it is clear that the Attorney General is partisan. He must be told loudly and boldly that he is not the court and so should not make any judicial pronouncement capable of creating chaos and anarchy in Oyo State.
In a constitutional case of the significance of the Ladoja’s case where declaratory reliefs were granted demonstrating clearly that there had been obvious breach of the constitution in impeaching Chief Ladoja, the Attorney General ought to be in the forefront of ensuring that Ladoja is reinstated immediately. His comments are unfortunate to say the very least.
I condemn him for lending his voice and office to the continued desecration of our constitution. When it was convenient for him he condemned the violation of the Constitution in Ekiti, why should he be at the forefront of scuttling the decision of the Court of Appeal in Oyo? It is clear to me that he does not fully appreciate the weight of his office as a non-partisan institution for the protection of the Constitution. He must withdraw his unfortunate comment immediately if he is to enjoy the respect of all Nigerians.
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