By Rotimi Ojomoyela Ado-Ekiti—Counsel to Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, has replied the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Mrs Aisha Buhari through her counsel, Mary Ekpere & Co, saying the governor’s claim as regards her involvement in the infamous Halliburton scandal was correct and justified in law.

Ozekhome insisted that there are documentary evidences to support the governor’s claim that Mrs Buhari was indeed mentioned in the scandal.
In the letter dated July 8, 2016, Ozekhome affirmed that the statement made regarding the involvement of Mrs Aisha Buhari in the Halliburton scandal was “correct and justified in law, having regards to a court judgment convicting one Mr William Jefferson for bribery in the Halliburton case.” Counsel to the president’s wife, Mary Ekpere & Co had written to Governor Fayose on June 22, 2016, demanding a retraction of the governor’s statement that the President’s wife was involved in the Halliburton scandal, threatening legal action if the retraction was not made within five days.
[b]However, Ozekhome said the statement of Governor Fayose was correct and justified, having been factually premised on an existing court judgment. The letter read; “Our client has referred to us your letter dated June 22, 2016, on alleged defamation of the character of your client , Her Excellency, Mrs Aisha Buhari, the wife of Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, with firm instructions to reply to and reject same in its entirety.

“Our client states and reaffirms categorically that the statement he made as regards the involvement of Mrs Aisha Buhari, the wife of President Buhari, in the Halliburton scandal, is correct and justified in law; having regards to a court judgement convicting one Mr William Jefferson for bribery in the Halliburton case. “Therein, the name of the President’s wife featured conspicuously. At page 22 of the said judgment delivered by the United State District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division, USA, in criminal No 1: 07CR209,

the said Mr William Jefferson was sentenced at 9.00 am on November 13, 2009, by Mark D, Lytle. Your client, Mrs Aisha Buhari was specifically mentioned in the judgment. The judge referred to Exhibits 36-87 in the following words, for clarification; “See also Government Exhibits 36-87 (6/26/02 $170,000 wire transfer from account in Nigeria in the name of Aisha Buhari to an account in the name of The ANJ Group, LLC, identifying “William Jefferson” as Beneficiary)… Given the age of the defendant, the severity of the sentence calculated by the Probation Office, the defendant’s frequent travel overseas and unexplained wire transfers from overseas locations to financial accounts used by the defendant, the defendant cannot rebut the presumption at sentencing that he is a risk of flight.[/b]

“The said Williams Jefferson is currently serving a jail term in the USA and to the best of our client’s knowledge; this judgment has not been challenged, or set aside by any Appellate court of law anywhere in the world.

“The statement of His Excellency, our client, is therefore correct and justified, same having been factually premised on an existing court judgment above referred to.” On the immunity enjoyed by Governor Fayose against civil and criminal proceedings, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria said; “Your attention is also hereby drawn to Section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as altered, on the immunity enjoyed by our client from civil or criminal proceedings for the period that he occupies the office of the governor of Ekiti State. “You may therefore advise your client to wait until after 16th October, 2018, when our client’s tenure expires. When that happens, we shall join issues with your client in a competent court of law, in the event that your client does not have a change of heart.’’

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/07/halliburton-fayose-justifies-claim-buhari-wifes-involvement/

We know she is guilty. Names of people don't just get included in things like this.
I haven't seen my name all over the Halliburton case because I wasn't part of it.

All this counter posts from APC and co are just to shield Aisha from the Justice system.
A sitting governor can never point fingers to the wife of a sitting President if he wasn't sure of what he was talking about. We are no fools.

The idiotic system of government we have in Nigeria made it easy for thieves and rogues to thrive.
Buhari was aware of Aisha's involvement with Halliburton, that was the reason why he tried to shut down the office of the first Lady just to shield himself from whatever fallout that may ensure. Unfortunately, the young wife doesn't want to remain quiet, she goes about hosting meetings and distributing rice to substitute with the hunger in the land. Of course the first question from every hungry person would always remain "Do you have food for me"

And for the record, if Aisha was involved, Buhari was also involved.
We know how wives do things in Nigeria, my wife wouldn't get involved in certain things without my knowledge.

'Truth' one of the defence of Defamation.

I thought the APC said she was going to travel to the US on the 3rd of July,ir is my calendar wrong?

Mcdondayan:
I thought the APC said she was going to travel to the US on the 3rd of July, is my calendar wrong?

Yes, 3rd of July 2010.
They knew what was going to happen, that was why they chose Malami over Falana.

Irrespective of what the South West think about the North, the North will never trust them.

One simple question for the Rabid Unchained Mad Dog of Ekiti and his horde of Israeli fans: was the person mentioned Mrs Aisha Buhari or Ms Aisha Buhari??

Oh, lemme guess, it was a typo.

shift15:



It is obvious you don't know the difference between usage of Ms and Mrs.

You use Ms. when you suspect the person you are addressing is married but you are not sure about it.

Oh hell you people are too damn quick to jump on anything with an Omenka on it..

Haba!! How could a court be UNSURE of the marital status of someone they are PROSECUTING??

Na wa oo!! I don't even understand why I'm in this argument.

Everyone should believe what they want to, it is their prerogative.

Same SR which has turned to you people's favourite news source due to their revelations on Buratai and Danbazau made their investigations and concluded the person involved isn't Buhari's wife- but that doesn't sit well with your narative- so it has to be discarded!!

Believe what you want to, na una palaver be dat one not mine.



One thing these people slaving after Fayose and applauding his madness can never answer is why aren't the governors in their own region, 80% of whom are in the opposition, acting the way Fayose is if that is the right way to go about governance or opposition politics?? Fayose has completely jettisoned his responsibility as a state governor as has chosen to spend all his time fighting a totally fruitless battle.

These people who make up his support base know they are insulated from the consequences of his ignominy, so they push him forward on his path to self destruction. The innocent people of Ekiti state would be the ones to bear the brunt of his stupidity.

The same way they cheer on Fayose is how they cheer on the destruction of Niger Delta by Niger Delta terrorists - but they all went mute the day a pipeline was bombed in Imo state- that is how wicked their hearts are!





Ps: There's been this iPod Donkey who seems to have made sniffing after my rump on Nairaland his lifetime career. Weeks on end, the same thing everywhere I go- yet not a quarter of a f»ck has been given.

I pray you don't kick the bucket soon over this painful obsession, because I'd be here for at least another two years.

I've no doubt abt the first shellard's involvement in Haliburton's case...the problem is, will she be investigated at least?

She should've kept quiet but has pushed the only survivor opposition to open more and truly until they tell us that there exist another Nigerian known, called and addressed as Aisha Buhari, she is guilty.

Threatening Fayose with DSS, EFCC, FEC, NAFDAC, Justice Okon Abang, FHC in Aso Rock, etc. will only help us to know more.

congregation of frustrated wailers una well-done o.

the Aisha involved claimed to be buhari's daughter and was based in Virginia. was the wife of the president ever based in Virginia?

common sense is really not for the wailers

Truth and facts will always emerge in the long run.
As if it was Fayose that included Aisha Buhari's name in the document in the first place. He merely pointed out that she was involved in the scandal, and showed the document supporting this claim.

If Aisha has any grouse over this issue, she can take it up with the US district court that gave the verdict in the first place.
A sane country had jailed the recipient of the bribe, while the country that harbors the giver is posturing and making vain threats to protect a non existent reputation.

Aisha travel and see!!

There's actually no smoke without a fire. Aisha Buhari the First Lady was the one indicted the Atiku-Jefferson scandal. She should prove her innocence by going to a US court to swear a declaration that she was not the one indicited in the scandal

Why you fayose think she should travel when US government don't invite her on any allegation

Everyone knows Aisha Buhari aka Mrs Halliburton is a very big thief.

In Bubu's voice : We are fighting kwaraption

The most annoying things be say apc go asked us to save a particular date say this aisha Halliburton go travel go USA, up til now the woman never even near any country that started with 'U' and the date don pass. guilty conscience is too bad.

evidence can u now see it ?, like DVD I dey play I dey I show
If u agree like, if u no agree share

omenka:
One simple question for the Rabid Unchained Mad Dog of Ekiti and his horde of Israeli fans: was the person mentioned Mrs Aisha Buhari or Ms Aisha Buhari??

Oh, lemme guess, it was a typo.

let me correct you, Ms does not depend on marital status and can be used for both married and unmarried women. . .let's research before making statements


if you are well learned you will know that in the United States Ms is mostly used as regards females.


As per the matter at hand, when oga go slow and his entourage of slow poke quite fighting their enemies with EFCC am sure the little common sense left will tell him to face the falling economy.

DONMAYOR19:
The most annoying things be say apc go asked us to save a particular date say this aisha Halliburton go travel go USA, up til now the woman never even near any country that started with 'U' and the date don pass. guilty conscience is too bad.

Even if she decided to visit USA, you will still say she used diplomatic passport.

May be Fayose is planning to die before his immunity expires because all this noise of section 308 is really irritating. I dnt expect him to apologize but hide under immunity to misbehave.

Even when it was said that they don't have any information on the case, some people still said the case is 'classified'.

We know she's a corrupt woman.

ZUBY77:
We know she is guilty. Names of people don't just get included in things like this.
I haven't seen my name all over the Halliburton case because I wasn't part of it.

Even me, nobody has mentioned my name in this Halliburton case because I was not part of it

omenka:
One simple question for the Rabid Unchained Mad Dog of Ekiti and his horde of Israeli fans: was the person mentioned Mrs Aisha Buhari or Ms Aisha Buhari??

Oh, lemme guess, it was a typo.

This supporter of the corrupt prostitute doesn't know Ms can be used for all women regardless of marital status like Buhari like supporters.

Nigeria my country

Mcdondayan:
I thought the APC said she was going to travel to the US on the 3rd of July,ir is my calendar wrong?

IPOB in US laid ambush with the County of Denver Sherrif to arrest her if she landed in Denver Airport. APC got wind of it and stopped the travel immediately. Sherrifs in US are very powerful, are not answerable to anybody including Obama and FBI. They are elected by the people and command absolute independence. They are the chief law enforcers in all states.

That Aisha buhari has refused to visit America said a thousand words.

TPAND:
There's actually no smoke without a fire. Aisha Buhari the First Lady was the one indicted the Atiku-Jefferson scandal. She should prove her innocence by going to a US court to swear a declaration that she was not the one indicited in the scandal

So it is not just to visit the USA anymore and have the FBI arrest her?

She has to visit a court unbidden by the US authorities, except for some mentally handicapped Nigerian typing on Nairaland?

What if she doesn't, you would kill yourself?

Let Fayose and his lawyer tell us how the Aisha Buhari of his scandal that his own information already reveals as resident in the USA and already known to the authorities there, is related to the Aisha Buhari that is our first lady.

AntiWailer:


Even if she decided to visit USA, you will still say she used diplomatic passport.

May be Fayose is planning to die before his immunity expires because all this noise of section 308 is really irritating. I dnt expect him to apologize but hide under immunity to misbehave.

Even when it was said that they don't have any information on the case, some people still said the case is 'classified'.

Let her travel first and end all this speculations once and for all.If her hands are clean why should she be scared of travelling?

I'm still looking for the pictures used to justify Fayose's claims?

He has suddenly realised that the picture he released earlier looks more like his own wife than Buhari's wife.

Searching4love OP, you have already embraced the deceitful ways of gutter journalists, telling us you have pictures as if that was the evidence released by Fayose. You only have Fayose and Aisha's regular pictures here. Is that a revelation to us?
Must journalists always be slimy?

Fayose 2- Aisha 1. Did i say scoreline was 2:1? Oh sorry i wanted to say 2:0. Aisha's goal was a foul in the first instance but zombies would not let us hear word, so we reluctantly permitted it. But we wailers also scored a goal for Fayose by daring madam to visit the US. Her fans even publicized the date of her intended travel to the US but when madam remembered US no dey look face, she backed out to the disappointment of her zombie followers. So, the scoreline is now actually Fayose 3- Aisha 1.

Zombies are free to come start arguing blindly as they always do. Wetin I know be say a man who is married to corruption & befriends corruption (Amaechi, Fayemi, Tinubu, Aregberascal etc) is corruption personified. Show me your friends and I will tell you whom you are.

ZUBY77:


Yes, 3rd of July 2010.
They knew what was going to happen, that was why they chose Malami over Falana.

Irrespective of what the South West think about the North, the North will never trust them.

So Buhari should have chosen Falana Over Fayemi as Ekiti state nominee? Like are u serious?

Even EFCC no de resourceful reach this guy.

Fayose, we know she is guilty but our hands are tied. The man in Aso rock still has ear problem.

Meanwhile I was expecting to see pictures of Aisha collecting the money.

The Oracle tells me Mike Ozekhome will suddenly be next on Buhari's jaundiced anti corruption list.



We all know Aisha is as crooked as the letter S