Following the criticism that trailed the judgement of the Supreme Court on Rivers and Akwa-Ibom governorship election, an Abuja based lawyer, Kayode. Ajulo has written to the Attorney-General of Federation and Minister of Justice over the comments of some persons.
Professor Itse Sagay, SAN, Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, National Chairman All Progressive Congress(APC), Umana Okon Umana, Gubernatorial candidate of the APC, 2015 Governorship Election in Akwa-Ibom State, Dr. Amadu Attai, State Chairman, APC, Akwa-Ibom State Chapter
Chief Effiong Etuk, -State -State Secretary, All Progressive Congress (APC) Akwa-Ibom State Chapter and Mr. Ita Awak, State Publicity Secretary, APC, Akwa-Ibom State Chapter were said to have made uncomplimentary remarks about the justices of the Supreme Court shortly after judgements were delivered in the governorship elections in the two states.
Ajulo, who addressed a press conference yesterday in Abuja, in the letter, is seeking a Fiat from the AGF to prosecute them for Contempt of Court.
He threatened that he will have no choice than to approach the court to seek. An order of court to compel the AGF to grant him fiat to prosecute them.
The letter dated February 22, reads, “Sir, the current trend at which some senior citizens, opinion moulders and political gladiators as well as some senior members of the bar are casting appalling verbal and print attacks on the integrity of the Honourable Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and other judicial officers is becoming so alarming that, if urgent steps are not taken to forestall the re-occurrence of this ruinous approach, it is obvious that the integrity of administration of Justice would be affected.
“I strongly believe that the only way to check these scandalous comments is to bring the persons culpable of these punishable acts before the court of law to face the charge of contempt ex facie curiae and this could be hastened if you accede to the request by giving me the fiat to prosecute accordingly”.
On the part of Professor Itse Sagay, Ajulo said, “It is worrisome that Professor Itse Sagay, a senior member of the legal profession can be referring to the Judgment of the Supreme Court as perverse and a magic, which implies that the judgment was bias and made without following the due process of the law because a magic is something that is highly unusual.
“I equally considered it most unfortunate that Prof. Itse Sagay can ridicule the judgment of the Supreme Court by saying everybody knows that the judgment is pervasive, and called the noble justices, magicians, this is irritable to the sacredness and integrity of the court in Nigeria”.
He also said, “The instance of the contempt complain abound after the Supreme Court of Nigeria’s Judgment on the Akwa-Ibom State and Rivers State Gubernatorial Election Appeal, the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and others made a number of public statements which was reported in several newspapers between the 4th and 5th day of February, 2016, condemning the Judges of the Supreme Court and even alleging that they are corrupt and that they should be probed.
“Although, the statement has been denied but enquiries have shown that it was actually made and I strongly believe denial nor a public apology will purge the suspect of the contempt”.
“Based on the above submission I urge you to accede to my request by giving me the fiat as provided for Under Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria (As Amended) to file a contempt charge against all the above named persons so that it can serve as deterrent to others who are still planning to tow their ugly path”, the lawyer said.
