For allegedly misrepresenting and misinterpreting court papers , top operatives of the All Progressivs Congress in Osun state may face jail terms for contempt of court, legal experts across South West have posited.
Top leaders of the APC in Osun have reportedly being sponsoring several media reports which pre-empt the hearing of the governorship petition and which also appear to be falsifying several court papers filed by defendants before the Tribunal.
” Governor Oyetola has immunity but his aides who are sponsoring and spreading the fake reports are liable. The Tribunal may be sufficently angry for the many materials APC operatives are pushing out. This matter is before the court and it is just procedural to allow the judges to act. As it is there are sufficient grounds to charge and sanction the APC handlers”, a lawyer here in Osogbo argued.
Another legal practitioner noted that it was unusual for a petitioner to be engaging in media trial because he or she will incur the wrath of the court and will also lose whatever goodwill of the public.
“I have been reading all sorts of materials and I know it will hurt Oyetola more than Adeleke. Those materials are childish. Now the public symphathy is for Adeleke. Most people now see Oyetola and his people as liars. As to jail term, Oyetola has immunity”, Adeyefa Adelu, another legal practitioner noted.
APC has however denied engaging in media trial , positing that Oyetola has no control over what people post on new media.
Meanwhile , the Peoples Democratic Party has canvassed sanction against the Governor for engaging in media trial . This comes a day after a pro-PDP group, Democrats for Democravy declared that Governor Oyetola is guilty of contempt of court.
Oyetola is Guilty of Contempt of Court – Democrats for Democracy(DfD)
In a statement released on Satuday at Osogbo, a pro-PDP group, Democrats for Democracy (DfD) observed that Oyetola is guilty of contempt of court by his endorsement and bankrolling of media trial of a petition before the Tribunal as such conducts amount to undermining the integrity and authority of the Tribunal and its members.
” Ever since the constitution of the Tribunal, Mr Oyetola and his team have concentrated on dishing out untruths and sham tales to falsely claim judicial victory even as proper hearing of his petition is yet to commence. Fabrications and falsity are daily churned out to blackmail the judiciary, all in a bid to precipitate reversal of a world acclaimed election victory of Senator Ademola Adeleke.
” Against all known judicial norms, Oyetola disdainfully moved judicial decisions to his office, empowering his aides to launch elaborate press subterfuges, misquoting, misrepresenting, misinterpreting and falsifying court papers and scornfully treating the judges of the Tribunal by issuing purported pseudo- judgement in his own favour. Rather than allow judicial determination of his petition, the petitioner has condemnably assume the role of the judge, the defence and the prosecutor, thereby constituting himself into a busybody, an interloper, in the hallowed chamber of justice.
” We find the action of the petitioner strongly reprehensible as it indicates gross lack of respect for the judiciary, a determination to rubbish the Tribunal and an evil plot to derail the judiciary from performing its statutory responsibilities. It is therefore expedient for the defence lawyers to officially report the petitioner to the Tribunal as his conduct and action is a danger to seamless and just operation of the Tribunal.
” There must be consequences for wilful attempt by a petitioner to stampede and railroad the judicial authority through unfounded spreading of lies. Mr Oyetola must be sanctioned for becoming a cog in the wheel of progress in a petition which he originated. If the Iragbiji politician has concluded that his petition lacks merit, we dare him to be honourable enough to withdraw his fillings from the Tribunal and congratulate the winner.
” We clarify again that Adeleke’s victory suffers no setback from the reign of falsity Mr Oyetola is spearheading. The two grounds of the outgoing Governor’s petition have been demolished even through their own media trial. We have strong faith in the judiciary to deliver justice and equity.
” To thousands of PDP supporters and the good people of Osun state, ignore all mendacious disinformation from amateur propagandists who have become laughing stock in the court of public opinion. Adeleke’ victory is a product of world acclaimed free and fair election; the defence of that victory by the defence team at the Tribunal is water tight; and our collective faith in the judiciary to validate people’s will is unshaken”, the group noted in a statement signed by Olamide Tiamiyu (Convener) and Popoola Timilehin (Secretary).
Osun PDP Seeks Sanction Against Oyetola
“Our attention has been drawn to series of prejudicial media publications from Mr Gboyega Oyetola and the All Progressive Congress (APC) over the petition challenging the election of Senator Ademola Adeleke as the Governor of Osun state. We notice with disappointment that the intensity of the sponsored, subjudice media trial increased soon after the rejection by the President, Court of Appeal of Oyetola’s request to relocate the Tribunal sitting from Osogbo to Abuja.
“We first of all commend the judiciary for rejecting the relocation petition as there was no justifiable reasons for such request. Osun is not only peaceful but the few cases of insecurity were mostly engineered by the state government in its despairing agenda to scuttle peoples’ will. We are therefore elated that the judicial leadership saw through the plot and adopted the position of security agencies that Osun is secured enough to host the sitting of the Tribunal.
“We must hasten to add that our objection to the relocation request was premised on the critical need to protect the integrity and safety of BVAS machines and other materials used during the elections. As the machines are likely to be central to the determination of the petition, keeping them safe here in Osun rather than exposing them to tampering and hacking on transit, is our official position.
“Our party as a law abiding organisation is however disappointed with the recklessness and utter disregard of Mr Oyetola and his team for the integrity and credibility of the judicial process. In the last few weeks, the petitioner has launched series of media publications, first alleging false admission to over-voting by defendants, misrepresenting to the public the fillings of defendants, alleging complicity of the electoral commission through doctoring of court fillings and lately creating falsified election results to purportedly claim victory.
“As much as we have attempted to correct the counterfeited claims being an interested party, Mr Oyetola and his team are so far incorrigible as they persist in their nefarious conduct of wilful pervasion of facts. We have therefore come to the conclusion that ongoing election data manipulation in public domain if left unchecked by the Tribunal is capable of plunging the state into conflict ahead of the November 27 transfer of power. The polity is already over-heated and it is time Mr Oyetola is called to order before he plunge the state into avoidable crisis.
“We repeat for the sake of all lovers of democracy that all false election graphics being circulated by APC are figments of their imagination. The official results of the July 16 elections remain the authentic results. That victory of Senator Ademola Adeleke is what all defendants are defending as evidenced in their fillings at the Tribunal. We make bold to say that none of the defendants admitted to any electoral error but rather holistically articulated data and facts which authenticated the electoral victory of Senator Adeleke.
“As the Tribunal commences sitting tomorrow, we challenge Mr Oyetola to demonstrate a measure of integrity by allowing the Tribunal to treat his petition if he actually believes he has good case. As the petitioner, his sponsored media trial digs huge hole in his petition as it signifies a likely judicial defeat, hence his flooding the media space with falsified figures and fake news.
” If the defeated Governor fail to retrace his steps, we urge the Tribunal to invoke relevant sanctions against him and his party for undermining the judiciary, for misinforming the public, for doctoring court documents, for attempting to bringing the court into disrepute and for pre-empting decisions of our lord justices.
“To our teeming supporters and people of Osun state, we reassure you that your mandate conferred on Senator Adeleke is safe and secure. Recent doctored reports are manifestation of upcoming final defeat of Mr Oyetola as they have no impact on the Adeleke’s incoming governorship of Osun state.
“Osun people have spoken; their votes are resounding; and their Governor-elect is Senator Ademola Adeleke. We have deep confidence that our Lords Justices will surely deliver fair and equitable trial without fear or favour”, the party Chief said.
APC is not Guilty-Kolawole Olabisi
In a statement issued in Osogbo, the APC spokesman noted as follows:
“It wouldn’t take any discerning mind to know that Oyetola as the subsisting elected governor of Osun State has no control over what some unknown but knowledgeable and worried individuals intuitively rolled out through the social media concerning the controversial governorship election.
“Assuming without conceding that the media space is awash with opinionated comments about the ongoing election petition tribunal, it presupposes that Governor Oyetola lacks the authority to dictate to upwardly mobile individuals or any group of people globally who, out of concern or curiosity, may make any remark on the sham and factitious Osun governorship election results declaration which have become a laughing stock because of its negative peculiarities world-wide.”, the spokesman affirmed.
