Judicial manipulation in Edo election as Fayemi enlists Ekiti judge, Adesodun in tribunal to pervert justice

With full sitting of the Edo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal yet to begin, it has emerged that one of the tribunal members, Justice Emmanuel Adesodun was included in the tribunal by the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi , to help sustain the fraud perpetrated during the governorship election.

Justice Adesodun was allegedly nominated into the tribunal by the Ekiti State Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, at the instance of Fayemi.

Information at our disposal indicates that Justice Adesodun was given clear instruction by Fayemi to see to the dismissal of the all petitions against the election of Governor Godwin Obaseki.

Justice Adesodun was part of the Anambra State National Assembly Elections petition tribunal last year, prompting questions as to the rationale behind his inclusion in the Edo State Tribunal inspite of the directive of the immediate past Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed that all judges that participated in election tribunal should give room for others who have never been nominated for such assignment, and prevent them from being manipulated.

The CJN position then was because some judges were discovered to have lobbied to be included in election tribunals so as to execute their pay-masters job.

Question is also being raised as to the propriety of Justice Adesodun’s inclusion in the tribunal since it was the Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Professor Kayode Soremekun that served as INEC Returning officer in the election.

“How can the INEC Returning Officer come from an Ekiti State based university and one of the three members of the Tribunal will also come from Ekiti State?

“Even if a judge must be nominated from Ekiti State to be part of the tribunal, is Justice Adesodun, who joined the bench in 2012, the only judge from Ekiti, such that he will take part in two election tribunals within 15 months?

“Definitely, he is part of the Edo tribunal to do Fayemi’s hatchet job and if the interest of justice must be served, he should be excused from the tribunal forthwith,” a top member of the judiciary in Edo State who preferred anonymity said.

It should be recalled that in March, 2012, when Fayemi was the governor of Ekiti State, the National Judicial Council (NJC) recommended Adesodun, Bamidele Omotoso and Kayode Ogundana for appointment as a judge, but Fayemi only sworn in Adesodun. It took pressure from critical stakeholders for Ogundana to be sworn in later while Omotoso was sworn in by Governor Ayodele Fayose in October 2014.