Ondo Reacts To Federal High Court Ruling; Says State Has No Plan To Cut Short Tenure Of Chief Judge

By Ayodele Oni

Ondo State Government has clarified that it was needless to make appearance in a suit filed by the Chief Judge of the State, restraining Governor Rotimi Akeredolu from probing or sacking her.

News report had it, early in the week, that the prayer of the Chief Judge was granted as the Governor was stopped from removing the Chief Judge.

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had barred Governor  Akeredolu from investigating the Chief Judge of the state over a viral video made by a citizen of the State, Olupelumi Fagboyegun.

The Ondo State Chief Judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Akeredolu, had sued the Governor, the Attorney General of Ondo State and the House of Assembly seeking to stop them from proceeding with the planned probe, and equally bar the AGF, NJC and the IGP from acting on any report submitted to them by the Ondo State Government pending the determination of the main suit.

Justice Ekwo had, on February 25, 2021 restrained the Governor and all the defendants from taking any further steps in relation to the alleged probe of the state chief judge over the viral video.

The Judge gave the order while ruling in an ex-parte application filed by Justice Akeredolu.

A statement on Friday, signed by the Commissioner for  Information, Mr Donald Ojogo, explained that the suit was unnecessary and mere ego trip as the Governor was not contemplating on removing or probing the CJ.

The statement explained that “the Ondo State Government from the commencement of the said suit in question, did not consider it worthy of any legal efforts.

“It was vainly an ego pursuit as far as Government was concerned. In unambiguous terms, the suit was an unnecessary distraction for which no legal representation was made neither on behalf of the Attorney General nor the Government  for the period it sufficed.

“The reasons behind the needless efforts to drag in the Executive Arm of the State Government, particularly, Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN, into the matter are well noted.

“It must be stated however, that, Governor Akeredolu is not only a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria; he is indeed a Life Bencher who had served as a member of the National Judicial Council (NJC).

“He is, therefore, better informed  with the procedural processes relating to the removal of a serving Chief Judge of a State hence his directive that the State Government should not participate in the hearing of the needless suit filed by the Chief Judge (CJ).

“Simply put, the Executive Arm of the Ondo State Government, led by Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, at no time had interest whatsoever, in cutting short the tenure of the State CJ.

“If at all, the State Government can only wish the CJ God’s Infinite Grace till August so as to accord her a deserving retirement honour as a Jurist.”