A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank on Thursday has accused some politicians of planning to remove the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke from office.
According to Frank, the element who he described as enemies of democracy are bent on the move to upturn Governor Adeleke’s victory at the Appeal Court at all cost.
Frank in a statement released in Abuja on Thursday charged the Supreme Court Judges to maintain the integrity and resist inducement.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate in the gubernatorial election held in 2022, Gboyega Oyetola had vowed to approach the Supreme Court following the ruling of the Appeal Court affirming Adeleke as Governor.
The statement reads, “Howbeit, these same elements who’ve been operating without fear for consequences have once again arisen to compromise the integrity of the judiciary by vowing to upturn the decision of the Court of Appeal, by any means necessary in relation to the Osun state Supreme Court decision. Monetary inducement of $2 million per JSC on this matter is the offer inherent as well as coercion and intimidation using state security agencies to greatly influence the judgment of the SC is in top gear and underway.
The Supreme Court must be put on notice that Nigerians are very interested in the outcomes of judgement decisions from the SC and will continue to beam its searchlights on the discreet activities of the Judges especially after the ridiculous decisions as regards Sen Ahmed Lawan and Sen Gods will Akabio. We are constrained to believe that indeed, recent decisions from the SC suggest that certain compromises may have been plausible by the outcomes of judicial matters.
The hopes of many Nigerians are fast fading away as most Nigerians doubt the independence of the judiciary in the dispense of justice. The SC must not be seen going the way of the INEC chairman, who blatantly voided its own rules to subvert the will of the people save for personal aggrandisement. The JSC must put the country first in its discharge of their constitutional duties. The 2023 Presidential Elections results are still rife in the minds of many and thus any attempt to deliver any controversial judgement may end up in anarchy.
The SC must be reminded that the Osun State matter will be a first litmus test for the JSC. The facts of the matter are very clear, with the CA putting to rest the issues of overvoting and any other discrepancies. Therefore the minimum expectation for the SC is to stand by the truth and avoid any semblance of intimidation and coercion. The Right thing must be done, as it is clear that the Osun people are extremely pleased with the choice of their governor and are elated with his performance since his inception into office.
In other to demonstrate independence and integrity the SC should as a matter of Public Opinion approve the use of live telecast in broadcasting its proceeding for the Presidential Elections matter. The Supreme Court must stand on what is right and just and endeavour to reclaim its already battered image.”
