The leadership of the nation’s judiciary is reportedly in a quandary over the alleged plan to use the arm of government to scuttle the October 16 swearing-in of Ekiti governor-elect, Mr Ayodele Fayose.
To ensure that nothing goes wrong, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, has reportedly shelved her earlier plan to travel to Athens, Greece, next week Tuesday, after the meeting of the National Judicial Council (NJC) scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
Checks revealed that she was billed to travel to Athens for a stress management conference, alongside her brother justices, as well as heads of certain agencies of the judiciary and the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Sunday Olorundahunsi.
The reported change in her itinerary would now possibly see her join others at the conference on Thursday, October 16, depending on whether the swearing-in holds or not.
If the swearing-in is not held, it is likely that the trip would be entirely cancelled for her, considering the crisis that is expected to trail such development and the central role she is expected to play in solving the expected logjam.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that though convinced that the suit on his eligibility was a pre-election matter that should have been sorted out earlier, the judiciary leadership was reportedly concerned about what to do in an event of the Ekiti High Court giving judgment stopping the swearing-in.
The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), on Thursday, had accused the presidency of deploying soldiers to the court handling Fayose’s case, to stop the planned judgment before the swearing-in.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that though convinced that the suit on his eligibility was a pre-election matter that should have been sorted out earlier, the judiciary leadership was reportedly concerned about what to do in an event of the Ekiti High Court giving judgment stopping the swearing-in.
The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), on Thursday, had accused the presidency of deploying soldiers to the court handling Fayose’s case, to stop the planned judgment before the swearing-in.
In a statement issued in Abuja, on Thursday, by its national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the alleged act of deploying security agents to prevent the courts from re-opening, as directed by the NJC, amounted to undermining the judiciary and the constitution.
Nigerian Tribune also gathered that the embattled state Chief Judge, Justice Daramola, made efforts on Wednesday to register with the judiciary leadership in Abuja, his discomfort with the alleged deployment of soldiers to prevent the courts from sitting.
It was learnt that he could only get across to an intermediate official, who reportedly asked him to speak directly with Justice Mukhtar.
It could not, however, be ascertained if the complaint got to her, but as of press time, checks within the top echelon of the judiciary did not indicate any extant documented complaints about the controversial security beef-up.
Nigerian Tribune was equally told that Justice Mukhtar had consulted with a couple of her colleagues and senior lawyers on their thoughts of what could be done if the swearing-in was judicially-stopped, with Daramola being ordered by a competent court not to swear Fayose in.
The preponderance of opinions reportedly favoured ensuring that nothing stopped the CJ from performing the constitutional duty.
The Ekiti issue has also been listed for consideration at the next council meeting and a definite pronouncement is reportedly likely on the swearing-in controversy, in order to lay the whole issue to rest.
At the emergency meeting held penultimate Thursday, Daramola, a member of the council, reportedly told the council that the entire story about plan to stop the swearing-in was a rumour.
A council source revealed that at the emergency meeting, the CJN reportedly raised the concern, with the Ekiti CJ said to have told the gathering that the whole issue was just a rumour blown out of proportion.
At this point, a debate reportedly ensued on whether Daramola should be present when issues involving him were being discussed, considering the allegations against him by Fayose’s party.
Those against his continued presence reportedly carried the day and he was said to have been excused from the meeting.
It is likely he would also not be present at the next week meeting, though a source said he was invited, since there were other issues apart from Ekiti saga.
