Update on Ekiti--- SANs drag Governor-elect Fayose to NHRC

Two Senior Advocates of Nigeria - Norrisom Quakers and M.J. Onigbanjo - have dragged the PDP and the Ekiti State-governor-elect, Ayodele Fayose, to the National Human Rights Commission over alleged violation of their rights to practise as lawyers.

In a petition dated September 29 and jointly signed by them, they claimed that the September 22 and 25 attacks on the Ekiti High Court by some suspected political thugs constituted threats to their lives.

Quakers and Onigbanjo, who are the lawyers to the litigants challenging Fayose’s eligibility to contest in the June 21 governorship election, addressed their petition to the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Prof. Bem Angwe.

Quakers and Onigbanjo described the September 22 incident as “barbaric and barefaced violation of the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the claimants (litigants), claimants’ counsel, the judge and other officers of the court by thugs who were organised by the PDP.”

PDP writes CJN over Plot to Stop Fayose's Swearing in ceremony:
Meanwhile, the PDP in Ekiti State has accused the Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, of plotting with Governor Kayode Fayemi to stop the inauguration of Fayose. The party made the allegation in a letter to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mariam Aloma-Mukhtar.

The letter titled, “Another judicial coup plotted to avert the swearing in of the governor-elect of Ekiti State,” was signed by state Secretary of PDP, Dr. Tope Aluko and Publicity Secretary, Kola Oluwawole.

In the letter the PDP claimed that it was aware of plans by Daramola to give accelerated hearing to some suits challenging the eligibility of Fayose for the June 21 governorship election despite the notice of appeal and the stay of proceedings filed in respect of the suits.

Fayose had challenged the assumption of jurisdiction by Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi of an Ado-Ekiti High Court on the matter. He also sought a stay of proceedings on the hearing of the substantive suit.

But the out-going governor, Kayode Fayemi, has described the allegation as another tissue of lies by the PDP. He therefore challenged the PDP in the state to prove its allegation.