-Citizen Reports
A mathematical combination of anger, disappointment and protestation of unacceptable conduct by the Kwara State Election Petitions Tribunal rented the serene air at the premises of Ilorin High Court as the Tribunal was locked out from its first sitting by the confidential secretary attached to the tribunal.
The venue of the Tribunal that was filled to the brim with journalists, party faithfuls, lawyers and community patrons. The palpable silence of what happened why the Tribunal did not start sitting was broken when a judicial officer walked in to announce to the crowed that the key to the chamber could not be found.
He was immediately followed by the Administrative Secretary of the Tribunal, Mrs. Chinyere Dike who explained further that the Confidential Secretary of the Tribunal locked the Judges’ Chamber and travelled outside the state over the weekend. She added that when she phoned the travelled confidential secretary, she was directed to check for the key in her hotel room, which she did to no avail.
When the situation was about degenerating into protest by the crowd who came to follow the proceedings of the Tribunal, she invited the lawyers to the political parties for a discussion on adjournment to another date.
In his reaction, the state secretary of Accord party, Mr. Funso Dare said “it is unfortunate that this drama can happen in a sensitive matter like this. The electorates and party sympathisers have come to court to see the beginning of the process that can lead to justice. This is an attempt to discourage members of the public from attending the hearing.”
While pleading to members of the public not to be discouraged but remain clam and steadfast, Dare absolved the Tribunal of any blame. He said, “it is an insult for a court custodian to lock out people of such impeccable honourable status from gaining access to the chamber as well as documents to enable them sit for the day.
He called for the sanctioning of the erring secretary for holding the whole state to ransom.
Reacting to the whole episode, Jolaiyemi, J.S Esq in the Accord party legal team said, “there was nothing extra-ordinary in the reaction of the people today, this is because the people see the judiciary as the last hope of the common man. He added, that the reaction might be because people see the Tribunal as Generis.
While Dayo Akinlaja Esq. representing Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and its flagbearer, Mr Gbenga Olawepo affirmed that what happened must have been a genuine mistake . He added that, “it is the general situation of the country that has led to a situation of suspicion of foul play.
Alhaji Hassan Atanda, Kwara Central Senatorial Chairman of Action Congress described the whole episode as not only time wasting as most of them and their lawyers had been at the court 5, venue of Ilorin High Court since 7.30am only to be told that somebody had gone away with the key to Kaduna. To him, “this looks clandestine”.
A social critic and community leader, who is the Chairman of Afonja Descendant Union, Alhaji Olola Kazeem in his reaction said, “what happened in today is a premeditated act. It is the hand of Esau, the voice of Jacob. It is an indirect reaction to an order given by the Chairman of the Tribunal last week that INEC should produce electoral materials that will help in a fair and just conduct of the hearing”.
He added further, that order was a bombshell of megatonic magnitude that has rocked the camp of the respondents. “To him, what happened is a stray in the wind of greater embarrassment ahead of the Tribunal.
He proffered a solution as he said, “to avoid or pre-empt further embarrassment to the Tribunal they should relocate to the Federal High Court or Federal Court of Appeal where the respondents have no control. To him, their stay at the present venue is not conducive.”
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