THE petition authored by the Chief Judge of Ekiti
State, Justice Ayodele Daramola, on the alleged
assault on two judges in the state judiciary by
suspected supporters of the governor-elect,
Ayodele Fayose, has been shoved aside by the
National Judicial Council (NJC), Nigerian Tribune
has learnt.
In the said petition, aftermath the judicial crisis
in the state, occasioned by an alleged plot to
scuttle Fayose’s swearing-in, Daramola levelled
accusations against Fayose and his supporters,
who he referred to as thugs.
A council source told the Nigerian Tribune that at
the Monday meeting of the council, where
Daramola was directed to open the courts in the
state for activities, the council was said to have
reasoned that Daramola’s accusations and pieces
of evidence he provided amounted to hearsay,
since he noted at the opening paragraph of the
petition that he was out of the state when the
incidents happened.
The council reportedly ordered the two judges
allegedly assaulted to write personal petitions to
it, detailing the events of the two alleged
attacks.
Daramola’s petition was said to have been
largely considered unsuitable, due to the
allegations raised in the petition by the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), Ekiti chapter, over his
alleged complicity in the plot to stop the
governor-elect and alleged partiality in the entire
saga.
It was further learnt that the council reasoned
that hearing directly from those allegedly
affected would imbue the probe process with the
requisite objectivity.
Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi, who is handling the
suit on Fayose’s eligibility to contest the June 21
governorship election, allegedly had his court
disrupted on September 22.
On September 25, Justice John Adeyeye was
allegedly beaten and his suit torn while trying to
control crowd around Fayose, within the court
premises.
A council source noted that Daramola’s petition
gave him away as an interested party, who
might not be too objective in his claims, with the
potential of misdirecting the planned probe
panel and the public.
It was further pointed out to the Nigerian Tribune
that Daramola’s choice of words and the
disparaging manner he referred to the governor-
elect were shocking to many members, as well
as senior lawyers and judges.
“If he had sought advice before writing that
letter, he would have been advised against it.
Even Supreme Court gives some regard when
writing about you. Just consider how the CJ even
referred to the governor-elect in the letter. It
betrayed a mindset. No serious system would
rely on such letter to commence a probe you are
asking about,” the source said.
One of the affected judges is also likely to back
out of lodging an official complaint, after a
certain senior lawyer reportedly queried his
action.
The said judge reportedly confessed his mistake
to the senior lawyer and indicated that he would
likely let the sleeping dog lie on the matter.
Nigerian Tribune was informed that an official
probe might open a can of worms that could
consume even the complainants.
Nigerian Tribune also gathered that lobbying had
begun for Daramola’s job, considering the
general feeling that he might not last in office.
A widely-respected lawyer from the state
revealed that at least two judges in the state
judiciary were already running around to position
themselves, against Daramola’s perceived
imminent exit as CJ.
The senior lawyer, however, noted that the
agenda of the lobbying judges would not see the
light of the day, as further steps had reportedly
been taken on the planned reconciliation of
Fayose and Daramola.
The governor-elect reportedly assured those
behind the peace move of his commitment to it,
but was said to have insisted that Daramola
would have to be purged of his alleged
partisanship and partiality.
Checks also showed that the advanced party
from the judiciary to the Stress Management
Conference in Athen, Greece, departed last night,
with the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice
Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, staying back as
exclusively reported by the Nigerian Tribune.
Mukhtar decided to wait till Thursday to see how
Fayose’s inauguration would go, before either
joining the team or pulling out of the trip
completely.
http://tribune.com.ng/news/news-headlines/item/18704-njc-ignores-ekiti-cj-s-petition

Shame on that judge writing petition based on hear say i hope the NJC follow this to its logical end and people should be pubished.. apc has compromised the judges in state they govern from salami to this one again God knows how many kangaroo injuction these judges has granted the apc

APC should just bow honourably out of Ekiti State. You were defeated fairly, freely and soundly, allow PDP and Fayose to enjoy their reign in peace the way they allowed you. PDP lost in Osun but accepted their fate, why is APC disturbing the peace in Ekiti? More reason why I believe APC is supporter of APC.

That's is why NJC have failed and continue to fail in Rivers state Judicial crisis. Their attempt to impose Daisy Okocha will never happen so long as Amaechi remains d governor. Useless group.