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There is a saying that those who refuse to learn from the lessons of history are condemned to repeating past mistakes. October 15, 2006 will always be a day to be remembered in the history of Ekiti State. It was the day the then governor, Ayodele Fayose was impeached from office, and the then Speaker of the state House of Assembly, the late Chief Friday Aderemi became governor in acting capacity, though he did not last in office for a day!
I remembered vividly the night Aderemi took over the reins of power. Right inside the governor’s private office was Babafemi Ojudu (now a senator) who was then the chairman of the E-11, a group of Ekiti indigenes who had bounded together for political reasons. Ojudu was accompanied by Kayode Fayemi (the incumbent governor) then an aspirant of Alliance for Democracy (AD), Segun Oni (former governor), also an aspirant of PDP, and one Kayode Afolabi, a friend and business partner of Ojudu. There was also the then chairman of the PDP in Ekiti, Chief Ropo Adesanya, who was mandated to proceed to Lagos for a world press conference the following morning. The press conference never materialized as the then President Olusegun Obasanjo declared a state of emergency at 7 am the following morning.
The group E-11 under the leadership of Ojudu had supervised the impeachment of Fayose. The group received funding from prominent Ekiti indigenes from home and abroad who had been made to believe that Fayose is a collective enemy that must go at all cost. The “Fayose must go” fund ran into hundreds of millions of naira that partly went into the hands of the legislators who were camped at Royal Birds hotel, Akure, Ondo State, and the Women Development Centre, Agege, Lagos at various times. The major part of the funds ended in the private pockets of the leadership of E-11.
The Ekiti State Judiciary did not go unscathed in the impeachment saga. Two prominent and promising Ekiti judicial officers had their careers terminated due to political influence. Justices Kayode Bamisile, and Jide Aladejana are brilliant judges that could have rose to the pinnacle of their careers as Supreme Court Justices but they allowed themselves to be used by politicians. Today, their names are consigned into the dustbin of history.
Members of E-11 received very handsome rewards for the impeachment of Fayose. Before Segun Oni became the governor, Ojudu’s company, Special Events always get the contract for organizing both CAN and PDP rallies in Ekiti. When Segun Oni came into office, the running of the state-owned Fountain Hotels, built by Fayose was ceded to them. It was run by Kayode Afolabi, a crony of Ojudu. This was aside huge contracts awarded to members of the group. The party continued under Kayode Fayemi as members though now divided by politics still reap handsomely from their labour of 2006.This was the state of things, at least, until Fayose declared his intention to run for position of governor again in 2014. At the beginning, they derided his candidature. As he waxed strong, they too became serious knowing that they may have a problem in their hands. Then he waxed stronger and they became scared!! They reverted to their former tactics. Members again started meeting Ekiti prominent indigenes for “funds and support” to combat this “common enemy” again.
I was with a prominent lawyer in Lagos when a member of E-11 came to solicit for the lawyers support. I confronted the fellow with facts and figures and was successful in persuading the man not to release his hard earned money to those who will use it for their personal aggrandizement. I was therefore not surprised when they filed suit before an Ado-Ekiti High Court seeking an order of court to declare Fayose as not a fit and proper person to occupy the seat of governor of Ekiti State. Truth be told, the group is entitled to its own opinion. What they are not entitled to is to use their connections like they did in 2006 to scuttle the collective will of the people, using the judiciary as an instrument.
This was the way they used Aladejana in 2006. Segun Oni who was part of the plan was in office for more than three years before he was removed by the controversial Salamic judgement. Yet, with all his powers, he could not re-instate Aladejana back as judge. Fayemi will clock four years on October 15 and in those years, what has he done for Aladejana who they used and dumped like gutter water? Aladejana, a perfect gentleman is still in his house licking the pains inflicted on him by the group he so much trusted.
At this juncture, the words of Justice Odemwingie Uwaifo, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court comes to mind. He said “Unfortunately, the judiciary is already involved (in politics). Don’t let us deceive ourselves. There are a few judges that are doing well but on the whole, we have a lot to account for. The judiciary is already faulty”. When judges allowed themselves to be used as a tool for political reasons, it means they have descended into the arena and should not be expected to be covered with the immunity of office.
Ekiti have particularly suffered in this regard. The Judgement that brought Fayemi to power will always be a reference as it eventually led to the removal of the former President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami. Now, another judge, Justice John Adeyeye has been beaten up in court premises. I join Fayose to as the National Judicial Council to investigate this matter.
From time immemorial, people have always mass around courts when there is a judicial process that involves their interest. In 1983, the people of Ondo State formed a human shield around the Supreme Court at Igbosere, Lagos on the day judgement was delivered on the governorship tussle between the late Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin of UPN, and the late Chief Omoboriowo of NPN. No justice of the court left his hallowed chamber to address the crowd.
Between 1999 and 2013, General Ishaya Bamaiyi, Major Hamza Al- Mustapha and others faced criminal trials before various courts in Lagos. Every trial day, their supporters, including Chief Frederick Faseun of OPC always massed around court premises. No judge of the High Court of Lagos ever stepped out of his chambers to do security job of telling the crowd how to conduct themselves in court premises. Similarly, PDP chieftain, Chief Olabode George went on trial before Justice Olubunmi Oyewole of Ikeja High Court. Every trial date, his supporters invade the serenity of the court with drums, in their Aso-Ebi attire. Yet not a single judge came out to instruct these supporters on how to conduct themselves in court premises. It even got to a point that Governor Babatunde Fashola wrote an opinion on the issue as a lawyer. No judge ever questioned the rights of the people to be in the court premises.
Justice Adeyeye may therefore need to explain to the NJC how interpretation of the law, which is his job include the job of addressing the crowd in court premises which is clearly the job of security officials. This is particularly instructive as none of the cases in question was before him.
It is my hope that the E-11 will allow the will of the people to prevail. Even if Fayose is the devil himself, the voice of the people is clear. Unless they have things to hide, they should stop the intimidation of the wish of the people or be consumed by rage of the people
Mustapha Ogunsakin
