Posted by By AKEEB ALARAPE, Ibadan on
Tension rose in Ibadan, Oyo State capital yesterday as the people await with eagerness the ruling of the Court of Appeal
•As court decides Ladoja, Akala's fate today
Tension rose in Ibadan, Oyo State capital yesterday as the people await with eagerness the ruling of the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division, on the constitutionality or otherwise of the January 12, 2006 impeachment of erstwhile governor, Senator Rasidi Ladoja, slated for today.
The appelate court had, at its last sitting on Tuesday, 26 September, adjourned indefinitely for its ruling on the appeal brought by former Speaker and Deputy-Speaker of the state, House of Assembly, Adeolu Adeleke and Dauda Titilola, over the ruling of Justice John Olagoke Ige of an Oyo State High Court, that the court has no jurisdiction to interfere in the impeachment process.
The case, which has dragged on for 10 months, had also seen Ladoja himself being joined in the case to protest his controversial impeachment. At the sitting of the court on 26 September, parties to the suit had argued their cases based on their different written submissions, which had earlier been forwarded to the court.
There was an earlier unconfirmed reports that the new panel constituted by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Umar Abdullahi, had fixed Abuja for its sitting due to the intimidation and harrassment of counsel to Ladoja by suspected political thugs, who invaded the court premises on that day, but had to change its decision at the last hour.
Yesterday, a flurry of activities took place at the Governor's Office, Agodi, as Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala held closed-door meetings with security chiefs, students, politicians and members of the state Road Transport Workers.
Daily Sun reliably gathered that the meeting was attended by the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, Mr Jonathan Johnson, the acting General Officer Commanding, (GOC) 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Brig-Gen U.S. Essien, State Director of the State Security Services, (SSS), Mr Raymond Nkidirm, as well as heads of the Immigration, Customs and Prison Services.
Akala also met with representatives of Students Union Governments (SUGs) from The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo State College of Education and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH), after presenting three 36-seat coastal buses to each of the schools.
At the Ladoja camp, the number of guests to his Ondo Street, Bodija residence doubled yesterday as has supporters trooped in to register their solidarity.
One of Ladoja's associate Mr. Dele Adigun, told Daily Sun that they were optimistic of a favourable judgment from today's sitting of the court.
'We went to court with the belief that we have been cheated and therefore, we hope justice will prevail and the right thing will be done. We pray that God will direct the judges to do justice. We are very hopeful of positive judgment," Adigun stated.
But in statement by the Special Adviser to Akala on Communication and Strategy, Mr. Diran Odeyemi, today's court sitting was just ‘a fragment section of a disputed matter' and not its conclusion.
Odeyemi, who was responding to the solidarity letter to Ladoja by the Governors' Forum led by Governor Lucky Igbinedion of Edo State, stated that Ladoja's impeachment was a thing of the past as Akala would not only complete his present tenure but continue after 2007.
Contacted on the security network and preparation for today's court sitting, Oyo State police boss, Mr. Jonathan Johnson, expressed confidence, saying there should not be any cause for alarm.
'We have been trying our best in the last sittings of the court and this time around we will not fail the people. There won't be any problem by the grace of Almighty God", Johnson said.
On the new panel to decide Ladoja and Akala's fate today are Justices J.O. Ogebe, K.B. Akaohs, C.M. Chukwuma-Eneh, C.B. Ogunbiyi and J. Mikailu.