The story of how Akeredolu stole and is stealing from Ondo State and vying for the right to continue to steal with impunity!
Why Akeredolu should be Disqualified by APC Ondo State Governorship Election Screening Committee, 2020.
This is a story that will not be forgotten in a hurry by everyone. The subject, writer and the reader, will never forget this write up quickly. It will linger on for a while!
In a sane society, the scandal is sufficient enough for Akeredolu to turn in his resignation letter and leave Ondo State alone.
I know his pride will not let him do the honourable thing. His ego will take the best of him. Pride goeth before a fall. So it is not surprising!
But, we, as a people have fundamental right to cry out for help as the primary victims of this kleptocractic and familocractic government led by Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu.
The Panel report banned Akeredolu from holding public office for 25 years from July, 2000 to June, 2025. That is where we stopped in part 1.
So why is Akeredolu still in office now since 2017 till date?
Because no one has raised the issue of this indictment ever since then. The law does not act in vain. And delay defeats equity. And equity does not aid the indolent!
As noted before in Part 1, Akeredolu failed, neglected and/or refused to appear at the Fawehinmi’s panel to clear is name.
An important duty Akeredolu owes himself, his wife, his children, his family and associates, his profession and above all his God! He neglected doing the needful!
His approach of the Court did not dwell on the merit of the case either- whether Akeredolu steals or did not steal. That question has been avoided like a plague for the past twenty year?
Akeredolu’s application has been predicated on the technicalities that can be found in every page of the law books to defeat and defy justice.
Justice is a patient vulture. It catches up with a wrong when least expected.
Justice is blindfolded! It is neither moved by emotion nor swayed by sympathy. It rolls, even if heaven falls!
Please hope you have not forgotten that Akeredolu is not just a Lawyer. But also he is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria!
Law is an ass no one can ride, law is full of technicalities to subvert justice in the mean time.
So Akeredolu SAN is not new to this. He proceeded to the High Court of Ondo State sitting in Akure and swiftly applied for a leave of court for judicial review of the Fawehinmi’s Panel report.
On the15th of November, 1999, even before the White Paper on the Panel Report was issued in July, 2000; the High Court of Ondo State didn’t waste time in refusing Akeredolu’s application for leave to appeal.
However, Akeredolu SAN proceeded swiftly to the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, not Benin. Akure now has her own Court of Appeal.
In the Appeal No. CA/B/32/2000, the three Justices of the Court of Appeal, led by Baba Alkali Ba’aba JCA (as he then was) in Oluwarotimi O. Akeredolu Esq. Vs. The State held on the 10th of June, 2002 that there was merit in the appeal.
The Court of Appeal set aside the order of the High Court of Ondo State refusing leave for Judicial review and awarded a cost of N3,000.00 in favour of Akeredolu.
This has not exonerated “Our Man” from the indictment. It only says he has a right to a review of the Fawehinmi’s Judicial Panel Report. This is what we lawyers called ‘Judicial Review.’
From the 10th of June, 2002, Akeredolu had the leave of the Court of Appeal to challenge the panel report in Court by way of judicial review.
Ondo State government also has the right of appeal to approach the Supreme Court for a review of the Court of Appeal’s decision.
As well, Ondo State also has the right to petition the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee for the unethical and unprofessional conducts of Arakunrin Akeredolu with a view to removing him as a silk and to also removing the name Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu from the roll of the Supreme Court as a Legal Practitioner.
Searches at the High Court of Ondo State sitting in Akure didn’t reveal that Akeredolu apply and secure a judicial review of the Fawehinmi’s panel report.
However, in 2012 Akeredolu joined Tinubu’s party, Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN.
You all know the Tinubu l am talking about. It is the same Tinubu. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Jagaban of Borgu Kingdom.
Many of Tinubu’s protege had earlier indicated their intention to run for the Governorship of Ondo State.
We have Chief Tayo Alasoadura, Mr. Olusegun Abaraham, Awodeyi Akinsehinwa (Apata) amongst others who wanted to fly the flag of ACN under the leadership of the Jagaban of Borgu kingdom.
But a well respected Judge of the Court of Appeal to whom Akeredolu had ran to approached Asiwaju.
Asiwaju cannot say no to this JCA of high repute. And add 2 + 2, Akeredolu became the Asiwaju’s favourite pick for the Governorship of Ondo State for ACN in 2012.
Chief Tayo Alasoadura was prevailed upon by Asiwaju to lead the campaign as Director General of Akeredolu campaign for Governor in 2012.
The man that lives in Maranatha, G.R. A Ijebu, Owo and born on the 21st of July, 1956 was eventually nominated as the Candidate of the ACN in the Ondo State Governorship Election in 2012.
Chief Abaraham was directed by Asiwaju to deliver all campaign buses to Akeredolu. And Abraham complied immediately.
To cut the long story short, Akeredolu lost that election. Only Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu can tell the story of the billions of naira that went into that election and how much was actually accounted for.
In 2016, Akeredolu also indicated to run for the Governorship Election of Ondo State.
For the obvious reason, Asiwaju snubbed him, and preferred Abraham to him. Oro ti ko se so, eniyan a pose! ( meaning What cannot be said you just hiss!)
Abaraham alleged Akeredolu “rigged” and snatched his mandate.
The case was fought right from the Federal High Court to the Supreme Court. Akeredolu never allowed the matter to be heard on merit till this day. Whether Akeredolu “steal” Abraham’s votes or not was not decided on merit. Abraham’s case was struck out on legal technicalities.
Fighting court cases on legal technicalities has become a style for Akeredolu’s law practice.
No! Akeredolu does not care about the sacred truth of a case. He only look for technicalities to avoid the truth and justice.
Leopard does not change his skin. That’s how Akeredolu became the Governor of Ondo State.
Akeredolu has become the captain of the proverbial Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves , looting the State with impunity and blindly.
Before we dwell on recent deals that smack of fraud in Akeredolu’s government; let we forget. There was a case of lying on oath.
On 17th August, 2012, Akeredolu filled the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC Form CF 001 in 2012 and also did same in 2016.
In the INEC Form CF 001 at paragraph E, marked GENERAL, question number 2; Akeredolu was asked repeatedly: “Are you under a sentence of death, imprisonment, or fine, for any offence involving dishonesty or fraud or any offence imposed by a Court or Tribunal.
Your guess is as good as mine. Akeredolu repeatedly answered NO!
Question number 3 in the same page asked: Have you in the last ten years been convicted and/or sentenced for an offence involving dishonesty (if so, give details including charge No., place of trial, etc?)
There’s no need guessing anymore. Akeredolu is determined to lie and he did lied on oath again, saying No.
I need to remind you all. INEC Form CF 001 is a declaration made on oath.
Specifically the INEC Form CF 001 for Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu in 2012 was sworn at the High Court Registry Owo, (you remember that Akeredolu awarded the contract to build the High Court in Owo to himself, ojo lo n pe ipade ki jin’a!)
The oath was taken before a Commissioner for Oaths, Mrs. T. A. Ajanaku on 17th of August, 2012.
Akeredolu needed the High Court of Ondo State at Owo to swear his declaration to contest the Governorship of the Sunshine State. What historical peculiar mess!
We will come to that later. The implication of Akeredolu lying on oath is that he has committed an offence of perjury.
Perjury is the offence of wilfully telling untruth or making a misrepresentation under oath.
By virtue of Sections 177 and 118, false testimony is a criminal offence. Perjury is punishable with seven or fourteen years imprisonment by law.
Akeredolu has not been tried for this offence. We have only underscored allegations that amount to offence of perjury.
Wait. We are talking of the Governor of Ondo State who is protected by Section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.
Akeredolu’s immunity protects him from criminal prosecution until when he leaves office next year as Governor of Ondo State.
However, there are other grounds that can form the basis of Aketedolu’s disqualification from further contesting as Governor of Ondo State.
These grounds are the subject matter of Part (III) of this title.
Olu Akinola, writes from Akure.
