From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Justice Adedotun Onibokun of the Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo has withdrawn from the royal suit of Akinrun of Ikirun in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state and returned the case file to the Chief Judge, Justice Oyebola Adepele-Ojo, for reassignment to another judge.
A counsel to the 1st, 7th to 12th defendants (Mogaji Obaara ruling house and some kingmakers), Muhydeen Adeoye, had tackled the Judge to recuse herself from the matter, saying that his clients have written the CJ to express their lack of confidence in her court.
Recall that Justice Onibokun had in a ruling in November, restrained the state government from accepting any candidate from Obaara and Adedeji ruling houses pending the determination of the suit filed by Gboleru ruling house.
When the matter came up Friday, the counsel, Adeoye, informed the court that the matter was adjourned to February 22, 2022, and expressed surprise that the bailiff of the court called him several times with messages on December 8, asking him to come to the court by 1 pm for the matter.
He said, “we were in court on December 6 and the matter was adjourned to 17th February 2022. I was surprised to see messages and calls from the bailiff of the court, asking me to come for the matter by 1 pm of December 8.”
He recalled that a Judge in the state, Justice Jide Falola, on Wednesday, December 8, dismissed a suit stopping the state government from installing Akinrun-elect, Yinusa Akadiri, granting the government the relief to go ahead with the installation.
The counsel said he was surprised that a court that has adjourned to February 17, 2022, could later direct the bailiff to inform him to appear in court within two hours.
Adeoye said, “I spoke with my clients on the strange development and I was directed to write the CJ to reassign the matter because they have lost confidence in the court and may not get justice in the matter.”
“Mounting pressure on a party to come to the court within two hours call for serious concern. I urge the court to transfer the case file to the CJ to reassign because my clients have lost confidence in this court and they felt that they may not get justice.
“I will be praying for your Lordship to allow the matter to be abated pending the treatment of the letter submitted to the CJ.”
But, the plaintiff’s counsel, Chukwudi Maduka, urged the court to go ahead with the proceeding, saying the court has inherent jurisdiction to order the status quo pending the determination of the letter.
Maduka who stated that the parties unanimously agreed to pick the new date, said the court should go on since the parties are all in court.
Counsel to the state government, Bamidele Salawu, did not oppose the transfer of the case saying “I must be seen as an unbiased umpire and we shall wait for the decision or whatever the outcome of the letter.”
Salawu and other parties denied the claim that they all agreed to pick the new date.
In her ruling, Justice Onibokun noted that one of the parties approached the court with a letter that the parties have agreed to come on December 8, hence the directive to the bailiff to inform the parties.
The Judge who denied knowledge of the purported pressure on the counsel by the court bailiff, said it was not the first time that counsels will cast aspersion on Judges and it will not be the last.
Noting that she has no interest in the matter, Justice Onibokun directed the clerk to send the case file to the CJ for reassignment to another judge.