New Telegraph

Ondo guber: Pressure mounts on Appeal Panel to shift judgement

… Minister, NE gov, Miyetti Allah allegedly fingered

With the Appeal Court, Akure Division set to deliver its judgment in the October 10, 2020 governorship election in Ondo State, there is indication that pressure is mounting for the judgment to be postponed.

The Appeal Panel had two weeks ago reserved judgement in the appeal brought before it by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Eyitayo Jegede in the October 10, 2020 election.

The three-man panel, led by Justice Theresa Ngolika Orji-Abadua, gave the ruling after Jegede’s counsel, Onyeachi Ikpeazu (SAN) had canvassed their briefs on why Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and his Deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa should be sacked because they were not properly nominated by their party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Counsel to Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa, APC and INEC; Akin Olujimi, Lateef Fagbemi and Charles Edosanmwon, however, faulted all the arguments of Jegede’s counsel saying the case was a pre-election matter.

But the alleged move to shift the date from tomorrow (Wednesday) to a yet unknown date is coming on the heels of an allegation that a federal minister, in conjunction with a serving governor from the North Eastern part of the country, has been mounting pressure on the panel to shift the date.

A senior member of the Bench from the North West is said to be the liaison between the trio led by the minister and another member of the Appeal panel. It was not clear if the Chairman, Justice Orji-Abadua has been personally reached to effect the shift.

According to an impeccable source, the move to ‘arrest’ the judgment came after series of alleged meetings between the national leadership of the umbrella body of Fulani cattle breeders, Miyetti Allah and the North East governor who is believed to be close to the PDP governorship candidate in the last election, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN).

A National Executive Committee member of Miyetti Allah confided in our correspondent that the continued stay of governor was not in the interest of the Fulani ethnic nationality.

“Of course, Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians and the way the Ondo State governor is going, he is against the Fulani people and our safety is not guaranteed under him at all. How can such a man that benefited from the Fulani to become governor set up what he calls Amotekun to be tormenting us.

“Did we make a mistake to support him against our own man who had spent all his life in Fulani territory in Adamawa, someone who can speak our own Fulfulde language in the 2020 election?

“If we made a mistake, we are now going to correct that mistake by partnering with someone we understand and who knows us better to be there. Or is it not when Akeredolu is governor that he can threaten the unity of this country by asking some people to leave a place in Nigeria?”

But on his part, the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), Ondo State chapter, Alhaji Bello Garba said the association cannot be part of any plot to unseat any governor, stressing that the association does not have the time.

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