I’ve seen Mr Ismail Omipidan, the media aide of former Osun Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, try so hard in recent times to force his erroneous views on the rule of law. Typical of his cunning ways, Omipidan deliberately explore faulty analysis to push his disjointed narratives in a bid to misled the public.
Contrary to Omipidan’s assumption, Governor Adeleke is a strict respecter of the rule of law and at no point did he confront the will of the court. If there is anyone confronting the will of the court, it will be Omipidan’s bankrollers, who are apparently ignoring a valid court judgement because they believe they are above the law.
From Omipidan’s perverse reasoning on the court judgement ordering the OSSIEC to go ahead with the Saturday’s poll, it is clear that he is lost on what actually transpired. The PDP didn’t procure a fresh judgement, rather, it only sought the courts interpretation of the judgement of the Appeal Court in CA/AK/226M/2024.
This is one judgement that Omipidan and his backers, including the supposed Chief Law Officer of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, have done everything to pretend it existed. I can understand Omipidan’s predicament given his political interest, but nothing can explain the attitude of the AGF to a subsisting judgement of the court. The duty of the AGF is to the law of the country and not to a political party, which should mean recognising the reality of the judgement sacking the YES or NO officials in the suit filed by the APP in suit no FHC/OS/CS/103/2022 and Appeal no CA/AK/226M/2024.
I.F Ogbuagu, J.S.C in suit no SC.240/2000 delivered in 2007 held that “It is now settled firstly, that a judgement or order of a court of competent jurisdiction, remain valid and effective, unless it is set aside by an appeal court or by the lower court itself if it is found that it acted without jurisdiction.” From the above, it is clear that it is Omipidan and many like him who are ignoring the effect of a valid and subsisting judgement in suit no FHC/OS/CS/103/2022 and CA/AK/226M/2024 that are testing the will of the court.
Interestingly, Omipidan’s party, the APC and some others had gone to the same High Court for the court to determine the implication of the judgement in CA/AK/270/2022. This suit which will be argued in the days to come will avail the court the opportunity to provide clarity on the contentious judgement of the Appeal Court as to the benefits to parties, especially in the light of the court’s decision not going into the legality of the YES or NO election as it deemed it mere “academic exercise.”
Notwithstanding this ambiguity, there still exist the judgement of the same Appeal Court in CA/AK/226M/2024 which dismissed the APC’s appeal challenging the judgement of the Federal High Court, Osogbo in suit no FHC/OS/CS/103/2022. The question that Omipidan has refused to ask himself is, why is he pretending about the existence of the judgement?
If Omipidan’s interest is actually the rule of law, he should know that the judgement in APP suit still sack the YES or NO officials and until it is set aside, it is effective and binding. Or, is Omipidan’s idea of rule of law selective applications of judgement based on what favours him because that is exactly what he has been canvassing.
Omipidan should stop the pretense because Osun people can see through him and know that he’s never about rule of law but a proponent of illegality. That is the truth, although, I doubt he’s someone who appreciates it as the ideal way of life, because so far, he has shown nothing but insincerity on the issue at hand.
Lies, manipulations and deliberate twisting of facts can never replace the truth, no matter how much effort is put into it. Osun PDP and by extension, Governor Adeleke, has done so well to let the law guide its actions on the confusion that the APC desperation has triggered on LGs in the state, and it is Omipidan and his backers who continually show contempts for the law courts by either misinterpreting judgements or open disregard for court orders.
But the consolation is, this impunity will fizzle away at one point and those who abuse federal institutions to perpetuate illegality will be disappointed in the end. Nigeria will survive the current antidemocratic forces trying to force themselves on Osun people.
In the landmark ruling of the Supreme Court that sacked five Governors for exceeding their terms in office in 2012, the apex court not only dismissed suits filed by the respective parties, it went ahead to make consequential orders that are simple and implementable. “In conclusion, I resolve the issue against the respondents. In allow the appeals, which have been demonstrated, to be meritorious and set aside the judgements of the lower courts and in their place, it is hereby ordered that suit Nos. FHC/ABJ/CS/246/2010,
FHC/ABJ/CS/648/2010,
FHC/ABJ/CS/650/2010,
FHC/ABJ/CS/651/2010 and
FHC/ABJ/CS/665/2010, be and are hereby dismissed. In consequence, I hold that the tenure of the Ist respondents began on the 29th of May, 2007 and terminated on the 28th day of May, 2011 being four years allowed by the 1999 Constitution.”
This is how simple and straightforward a judgement always is and I hope the confusionists in Osun APC can take note.
