Posted by By KENNY ASHAKA, Kaduna on
Ahead of the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal's judgment in the petition against Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the governor's lead counsel, Mallam Yusuf Alli (SAN), has assured that the on-going media issue on the controversial telephone conversation between Otunba Kunle Kalejaiye (SAN) and one of the judges of the alleged tribunal would not affect the outcome of the tribunal's verdict.
Ahead of the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal's judgment in the petition against Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the governor's lead counsel, Mallam Yusuf Alli (SAN), has assured that the on-going media issue on the controversial telephone conversation between Otunba Kunle Kalejaiye (SAN) and one of the judges of the alleged tribunal would not affect the outcome of the tribunal's verdict.
The tribunal is expected to give its judgment on Tuesday in the petition filed by the Action Congress (AC) gubernatorial candidate in the April 2007 general election, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, against the election of Oyinlola.
The magazine had alleged among others that members of the tribunal and Oyinlola's lawyers were in constant touch and that the legal team of the governor might have compromised the tribunal.
'The issues of the parties not getting justice because of the publication does not arise. It was not stated there that it was sponsored by anybody. So you can only be making conjectures and insinuations, as far as I'm concerned, the publication has nothing to do with any of the parties," Ali told reporters in Ibadan shortly after attending a function in honour of Chief Afe Babalola (SAN)
He observed that all the lawyers representing the parties in the petition had concluded their cases while addresses had been filed before the alleged telephone conversation, stressing that it was not possible for any of them to know the content of the judgment of the tribunal.
The senior advocate disagreed that the controversial telephone conversation between Kalejaiye and one of the judges amounted to judicial crisis in the state, submitting that as far as he was concerned, 'there is no crisis in the case at all, both legal and factual."
He, however, objected to the constant tag of corruption against the bench, arguing that those who peddled such allegations are intellectually deficient.