How ACN Influenced Ekiti & Osun Governorship Cases-Details of Inappropriate Communication Revealed
Fresh facts have emerged how the judgements which brought AC governorship candidates to power in Ekiti and Osun States in October 15 and November 26 2010 respectivelymay have been influenced by the party.The PDP HAD CONSISTENTLY ALLEGED THAT THE JUDGEMENTS WERE PROCURED BY THE LEADERSSHIP OF THE AC led by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. The National Judicial council NJC and the Presidency are said to have details of inappropriate communications through voice and sms messages between some leaders of the AC and their lawyers with the President of the Court of Appeal Justice Isa Salami and some of the judges during the period the cases were being considered. Salami was the chairman of the Appeal court tribunal for Ekiti and he delivered the now controversial judgement on the 15 october , which voided votes in the stronghold of the PDP Ido -osi for ''non production of Voters Register used for the wards by INEC'' thus giving the AC candidate Dr Kayode Fayemi the edge to be declared the winner.
Those alleged to have been in constant unethical communication with Salami include the AC publicity secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the renowned front of Tinubu, and AC financier Tunji Olowolafe, The Chief of staff to Lagos Governor , and the secretary of the Lagos land allocation committee among others.it was also revealed that leading lawyers of the AC in the cases were involved in the alleged undue influence on the judges. The PDP in Osun and Ekiti have asked Security agencies and the NJC to unravel the purport of the inappropriate communications.
In a letter dated 16 february 2011, the party stated :
'Our limited investigation reveals quite clearly that the President of the Court of Appeal was, has been, and continues to be in regular telephone contact(at least) with the following Action Congress of Nigeria chieftains and institutions:
Lai Mohammed: 08034303333
Olatunji Kayode Olowolafe: 08035605656
Hakeem Muri-Okunola : 08034030263
Lagos State Government: 08034020700, 08033235280
Lagos State Government (COS): 08034301122.
Even more damning is the fact that Justice Ayo Salami was regularly communicating with the following legal practitioners, who represented the Action Congress of Nigeria at Election Appeal Tribunals at various times: Lateef Fagbemi SAN: 08033246788 Akintola Adeniyi SAN: 08037643770 Nnaemeka Ngige SAN: 08035240990 Ricky Tarfa SAN: 08034600000 Ibrahim Abdullahi SAN: 08033896874, 08037041655
We are confident that the National Judicial Council is more than capable of drawing the appropriate inferences and the right conclusions from these suspicious interactions between members of the Bar (whose cases were being heard by the Court of Appeal) and the President of the selfsame Court. We strongly believe that the invidious plan to snatch victory by fraud was hatched in the course of those illicit interactions.
A certain Tunji Ijaya (subscriber no. 08034010700), obviously the go-between in many of Justice Salami's judicial deals, deserves to be probed further, owing to the sheer volume and frequency of voice calls and text messages between him and Justice Salami on the one hand and Action Congress personages on the other. Also, Lateef Yusuff (subscriber nos. 08033333469 and 08038305298) communicates with the Appeal Court President with equally suspicious regularity. Even more curious is that all the above mentioned individuals' calls oftentimes originated from, and/or terminated at, an MTN booster station located at 11B, Waziri Ibrahim Street, Eti-Osa Local Government, Lagos. Several voice calls and text messages which originated from them, terminated at an MTN booster location in Temple Road, Ikoyi Flats; where Justice Adamu Jauro received on, and made calls from, 08035956287. It is pertinent to mention that Justice Jauro was a member of all three
Election Appeal Panels constituted by Justice Ayo Salami.
Interestingly too, many of the calls from Action Congress of Nigeria party men to MTN's 11B, Waziri Ibrahim street booster station originated from a booster station located at 6, Bourdillion Road, Ikoyi. Who lives on Bourdillion Road, Ikoyi? Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
May we also take the liberty to suggest that the relevant law enforcement agencies focus attention on the following numbers, among several others; which are on MTN's prepaid platform? 08034426491, 08037287254, 08034022742, 08033063826, 08033140947, 08033235280, 08065297811 08166681589, 08029446330, 08023071844, 08033154018, 08023063539, 08030000410, 08023063539, 08034611826, 08038068712, 08035956187, 08034535568
We are more than convinced that a detailed transcript of the text messages and voice calls between and among the numbers we have provided and many others on the call logs will complete the picture of how the course of justice was perverted in the Osun Governorship Appeal judgement. And we make this assertion with all sense of responsibility.
Is it any surprise, therefore, that the Action Congress of Nigeria has been defending Justice Ayo Salami as if its political life depended on his retention as the President of the Court of Appeal?
Why is the Action Congress of Nigeria carrying on as if the President of the Court of Appeal is loved and trusted only by this funny 'family Party'; as if the Party owns him?
Why has the usually discerning Nigerian Press allowed itself to be hoodwinked into a sustained propaganda campaign on a matter it failed/refused/neglected to investigate, as serious practice of journalism should dictate?
The answers to the questions above and several others are no longer blowing in the wind; they have been made pretty obvious.
The Osun Appeal judgement was financially induced and we believe that a transcript of the communication among the parties concerned should confirm the veracity of our claims. Deux Projects Ltd is one of the Companies through which funds from Lagos State Government are usually laundered and thereafter deployed to execute devious plans of this nature. We therefore recommend that the accounts of this Company be properly scrutinized.
Our notion of justice is what is right, fair, appropriate and deserved. Justice is achieved when an unjust act is redressed and the victim feels whole again. Justice also means the offender(s) is/are held accountable for their behaviour.
While we stand ready to collaborate with law enforcement agencies to name, shame and jail the certified reprobates behind this egregious judicial crime, we will also be most willing to assist them with further insights- if required.
Since the Osun judgement has been tainted with bias and suspected corruption, our prayer is that the National Judicial Council and the Supreme Court reverse this perverse judgement and order a return to status quo ante bellum.
Please accept the assurances of our highest consideration and regard.
Otunba Sunday Ojo-Williams Acting Chairman.''
The NJC had reportedly queried Isa Salami and the judges on the panels on earlier petitions alleging corrupt practices and wrongful use of judicial powers in the course of their decisions.
By Akinmola Ade