There were strong indications Thursday that the Presidency has given orders to the military and the police to keep the courts in Ekiti State shut until the inauguration of the state governor-elect, Ayo Fayose on October 16.
 
The move, which counters the directive of the National Judicial Council, NJC, to the courts to resume on Wednesday, is aimed at ensuring the inauguration of the governor-elect without any inhibition by way of injunction or judgment in the ongoing case challenging Mr. Fayose’s eligibility for the recent governorship election in the state.
 
The courts in Ekiti were shut down last month following the invasion of the premises of the headquarters of the State Judiciary by thugs allegedly loyal to Mr. Fayose, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the poll.
 
The thugs had beaten up two judges – J.A. Adeyeye and I.A. Ogunyemi – during the invasion between September 22 and 24, forcing the state Chief Judge, Ayodeji Daramola, to petition the NJC, accusing the governor-elect of being behind the incidents.
 
However, Mr. Fayose, in a separate petition to the NJC, alleged that the judges had been bribed by the outgoing governor, Kayode Fayemi and his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, to give judgement against him in the case.  
 
The Council directed that the governor-elect be made to appear to explain his role in the attack of the judges and the state judiciary while those involved in the attack be dealt with in accordance with the law.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that although Mr. Daramola was ready to re-open the courts as directed by the NJC, he was, however, frustrated by the State Police Commissioner, Taiwo Lakanu and others, believed to be acting on the orders of the Presidency.
 
It was learnt that the Presidency, through some of its top officials, asked Mr. Lakanu, the Commander, 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure, Aliyu Momoh, a Brigadier General; the Garrison Commander, I. Adonkie, and the Head of the State Security Service, SSS, Samuel Tamuno to ensure that the courts do not open to prevent any judgement on the matter.

It was in obedience to the presidency’s directive that Mr. Lakanu allegedly informed Mr. Daramola that a bomb had been planted in the premises to justify its continued closure, sources familiar with the matter, including officials of the presidency, told this newspaper.
 
The security agencies are now claiming that there are attempts to bomb the courts and that the place must be protected.

Following the alleged bomb threat, army trucks were used to block the roads and prevent access to the court.
“Based on this spurious bomb threat, they locked up the gates and used Army trucks to block the roads and prevent access,” our sources revealed,” one of our sources said.

They reportedly met subsequently to review their strategy and agreed to fully implement the order from the Presidency to shut down the courts.
 
The source said, “In fact now, soldiers have also been stationed outside the capital Ado Ekiti to man other court premises in what is a total clampdown on the judiciary. This gangsterism against the judiciary portends great danger and only the judiciary can put an end to it.”

Mr. Lakanu confirmed the continued closure of the court premises until October 16 to PREMIUM TIMES, but refused to say who gave the order.
 
“Yes, it (court) will remain shut until October 15 or 16. I’m presently there,” he told this newspaper in a telephone interview Thursday evening.
 
On who gave the order, Mr. Lakanu said, “That I cannot be able to speak.”
 
The Commissioner debunked claims that the police action was in anyway tampering with the jurisdiction of the judiciary, saying “I am not working at the court.”
 
Repeated efforts to speak with officials of the Ekiti State chapter of the PDP were not successful as the Chairman, Makanjuola Ogundipe and the Secretary refused to answer or return repeated calls to their mobile telephones.
 
However, the APC Chairman in the state, Jide Awe said the police and the military, by their action, were flouting the directive of the NJC.  

“The headquarters of the courts has been sealed off even though NJC gave an order that court should resume,” Mr. Awe told PREMIUM TIMES on telephone Thursday evening.
 
“The courts have been sealed off and the military are now there, but we don’t know on whose orders.

“It is lamentable. If the president is our Commander-in-Chief, then your information may be true. As far as we are concerned we don’t know on whose orders.
 
“A president who knows the rule of law and the importance of the judiciary should know the implications of what is happening. What we are experiencing is in abeyance with the rule of law.
 
“It is not good for the entire country, not only Ekiti. People that are aggrieved should be allowed to go to court and be heard. They beat judges up, tore their suits, scatter their offices. Even Jesus Christ was humble in the way he treated the Pilate how much more a mortal of the 21st century.”
 
Olayinka Olabode, the media aide to the outgoing governor, told PREMIUM TIMES that though the government was not aware who ordered the continued closure of the courts, the action of the police had been funny.
 
“Although we cannot say who gave the order, we know the police are behaving funny as far as that issue of the court is concerned.”

The Special Adviser to the President on Media, Reuben Abati, did not answer or return calls made to him Friday morning.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/169291-presidency-orders-ekiti-courts-shut-until-after-fayoses-inauguration.html?

that's not a good look

Too much Drama in Ekiti state.

*yawns* When will ekiti get out of this mess.

This is nothing but

Demon Crazy.

Why are they afraid of court judgement nah?

APC also got it wrong, they should have made this case some months before the election so Fayose could be screened out by INEC.

Constitutionally, Fayose is ineligible to contest the election because he was impeached BUT Fayemi and APC were too slow. They should have acted on time.

And this their Governor,Fayemi, is too gentle to rule Ekiti State. Ekiti people are damn crazy people, only a mad man could govern them. That's the reason why they voted Thug Fayose again.

I trust AregbeRascal, I just love AregbeRascal. He have what it takes otherwise OmiRascal would have sent him out of Osun State.

Gentleman Fayemi should just hand over to Thug Fayose jarey and let peace reign. Next time make sure you act on time.

Cheers.

INSTINCTS:
*yawns* When will ekiti get out of this mess.

Maybe after the inauguration. Lol!

The court just need 2hr to sit and the case will be over

[quote][/quote]

LMAyedun:
Maybe after the inauguration. Lol!

It all depend on the CJN before 16th of october

Steadmann:
This is nothing but

Demon Crazy.

Why are they afraid of court judgement nah?

APC also got it wrong, they should have made this case some months before the election so Fayose could be screened out by INEC.

Constitutionally, Fayose is ineligible to contest the election because he was impeached BUT Fayemi and APC were too slow. They should have acted on time.

And this their Governor,Fayemi, is too gentle to rule Ekiti State. Ekiti people are damn crazy people, only a mad man could govern them. That's the reason why they voted Thug Fayose again.

I trust AregbeRascal, I just love AregbeRascal. He have what it takes otherwise OmiRascal would have sent him out of Osun State.

Gentleman Fayemi should just hand over to Thug Fayose jarey and let peace reign. Next time make sure you act on time.

Cheers.

Kindly refer us to the relevant section/sub-section in the constitution. Thanks in advance.

The concept of impunity is such that the enforcers(police, armed forces) of the law are enforcing that which is not law and therefore illegality, is this a jungle Seeing as we do not have official confirmation from the presidency, just hearsay, I choose not to belive this report.

The President is the CEO of the executive not the Judiciary he has no locos standi to prevnt the courts from sitting.

Discerning people of Ekiti
State and Nigerians at large
can now see that the so-
called defenders of
democracy are mere
pretenders.how can a
genuine democrat be hell
bent on subverting people’s
will? We want Ekiti people to
know that the voice of the
people is the voice of God
and they have spoken and
spoken well.

Simple proverb has been laid down above, that what is hanging up cannot be reached sitting down. We,
Ekiti people cannot be sitting down watching daramola,Ekiti political chief judge and Evil-11, so called 'ki lekiti ose' or fayemi thug members
association of ekiti )
destroying our land of
honour and fountain of
knowledge. Let's enter into divine prayers against these
pharises and lames who cannot build but embezzle and destroy. Daramola is a disgrace to the Judiciary, he's a son of an egyptian
ayo salami, an enemy of progress. God Almighty will remove their stands and send them to the red sea...

fayose will surely been disappointed in d court Cos' d law will change its course and let me tell u he will be disappointed again even if they swear in fayose on Oct.16 .at least d court will open and after hearing different case d judge will fix judgement date.

pro01:


Kindly refer us to the relevant section/sub-section in the constitution. Thanks in advance.

Section 182 of the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). Accordingly
Section 182 (1) (h) of the Constitution provides that
nobody is qualified to be Governor if he has been
indicted for embezzlement or fraud by a Judicial
Commission of Inquiry or an Administrative Panel of
Inquiry or a Tribunal set up under the Tribunals of
Inquiry Act, a Tribunals of Inquiry Law or any other
law by the Federal and State Government which
indictment has been accepted by the Federal or
State Government, respectively

Johnnyessence:
fayose will surely been disappointed in d court Cos' d law will change its course and let me tell u he will be disappointed again even if they swear in fayose on Oct.16 .at least d court will open and after hearing different case d judge will fix judgement date.

Wakeup Bro! Nothing like that can ever happen.

Why all this APC hullaballoo, the court would re-open on the 16th of October 2014. Finito!

What many ppl do not know is that Governor are not immune against the two cases against Fayose, even if the case lasted for months, when the court rules INEC must obey, Adamawa is a recent example. Just wondering how GEJ and PDP are protecting democracy and rule or law.

What are they challenging is it his victory? or his standing 4 election. Are we still doing nomination in Ekiti?

MisterLongman:

Fintiri was not an elected gorvernor....

Please, tell him o

APCs will later come to tell us how clueless the presidency his.

thegreatman4ww:
What many ppl do not know is that Governor are not immune against the two cases against Fayose, even if the case lasted for months, when the court rules INEC must obey, Adamawa is a recent example. Just wondering how GEJ and PDP are protecting democracy and rule or law.

You are right. The Presidency thinks that preventing the courts from opening till after the swearing-in of Fayose would make him rule till four years. They should learn from the case between Omehia and Amaechi in Rivers State. After the swearing-in of Omehia, the court asked him to quit for Amaechi.

Ekiti people don enta 1 chance by allowing thug to rule una 4 d 2nd term. A state known to have the highest number of Profs is about to be known with highest number of "political thugs"

The law would take its natural course whether d courts opened now or later.

pro01:


Kindly refer us to the relevant section/sub-section in the constitution. Thanks in advance.

No dey ask me dat kind kuessan

I'm not a lawyer but I have heard it several times on AIT from Lawyers that the Thug is ineligible because he was impeached.

They all blamed APC for not acting on time.

So ara e oooooooo.