Drama as Court Refuses Original Plaintiff’s Lawyer, Sacks Ondo LG Chairmen, Councilors

By Oluniyi Akintunde, Akure

An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure has ordered the immediate dissolution of all the 18 Local Government Areas chairmenand councilors in the state.

There was a shouting match in the court before the Judge eventually gave his verdict.

Mr Femi Aborisade who represented the People Redemption Party (PRP) in the suit filed by the party against the last year local government election in the state challenged the Judge’s actions on the matter.

The National Chairman of the party and former Governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa was also in the court to stand in for his party.

When the case was mentioned, Aborisade announced his appearance for the PRP, while Mr Akinladapo Ogunleye, the Solicitor General of the state announced his appearance for the state government.

Also, Mr Olusola Oke announced his appearance for the chairmen and councilors who were claimants in the suit.

But Justice Sidiq in his brief ruling said he had earlier given a verdict that recognized one Mr Segun Ogodo as the counsel to the PRP.

He said Aborisade should go to the Court of Appeal to upturn his earlier ruling on legal representation for the party.

Aborisade stood up and said he was the one that filed the suit and has the right to continue or discontinue with the case.

He argued that he was not served with any motion by the PRP to remove him as the counsel to the party.

Besides, he argued that he has right to be heard as his client has not debriefed him.

Also, Musa who was flanked by officials of the PRP stood up and said he did not recognize Ogodo as his lawyer and that he had right to a counsel of his choice.

But Justice Sidiq said since he had earlier ruled on legal representation, he would not go back to it, insisting that Ogodo who he had earlier recognized should be the one to stand in for PRP.

But, Aborisade and Musa said they have an application to discontinue with the case, while the judge insisted that he would continue with the case irrespective of the application for the withdrawal.

Speaking with journalists shortly after he moved out of the court, Aborisade said “the judge surprisingly deprived my client; the PRP led by the National Chairman, the former governor of Kaduna State, Albania Balarabe Musa, the most respected public officer in this country the constitutional right to be heard.

“My client filed the suit and the course of action has been removed with my client having being allowed to participate in the local government election, we have come to inform the court that we have withdrawn the matter. Unfortunately, the court is insisting that somebody else who was never briefed by my client is the counsel recognized by the court.

“This is a violent violation of section 36(1) of the constitution. Every person is entitled to be heard at the court. I can only be heard by the court through the counsel chosen by the PRP. This is very strange, it is unconstitutional. But we have informed the court that what was done in this case is a nullity because we have filed notice of withdrawal. My client has filed an affidavit that he does not recognize Ogodo in the court. This is a new phase in our experience in our constitutional democracy.

“I have never witnessed a situation where a court would impose counsel on a litigant in a civil matter.”

Despite the withdrawal of the suit by the litigants, Justice Sidiq gave a judgment dissolving the 18 Local Governments in the state after he overruled all the applications filed by lawyer to the claimants.

Meanwhile, the state governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has directed that all persons occupying the positions of chairmen and councilors in all the 18 local government areas of Ondo State are to vacate such offices forthwith.

In a press statement issued and signed by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor Mr. Segun Ajiboye, Akeredolu directed the council chiefs to hand over immediately all government properties in their possession to the Director of Local Government Administration in their respective local government.

Akeredolu said this directive was predicated on the order of Justice Adesola Sidiq of the State High Court, Akure, which found that the 1st and 2nd Defendants, Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission and Prof Olugbenga Ige, the Chairman, conducted the election of 23 April, 2016, “in violation of the mandatory provisions of Sections 1(1) (3), 40, 42, 287 of the Constitution Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, and Articles 2, 3(1) (2), 10(1), 11 and 13 (1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act Cap. A9, the Laws of Federation, 2004,” and, consequently, dissolved all Local Government Administrative set up across all the 18 Local Government Areas of Ondo State.

The state government however enjoined all citizens to remain law abiding as this directive was solely based on strict adherence to the order of the court and our unyielding insistence on observing the rule of law at all times and in all situations, stressing that elections into all the 18 Local Government Areas of the state shall be conducted as directed by the court as soon as possible.