From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa Professional Forum (BPF) has called on the President of the Appeal Court to launch an investigation into the processes that led to the appointment of Justice Adekunle Adeleye as the Election Petition Tribunal’s Chairman in the case between the Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri and the Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Timipre Sylva.
Sylva, in a petition to the President of the Court of Appeal had alleged that the Justice Adekunle Adeleye Tribunal was biased against him and his party.
The Tribunal, though faulted Sylva claims of bias, was forced to adjourn indefinitely pending the resolution of the petition by the President of the Court of Appeal.
BPF Secretary, Philip Erepa, in a statement said the probe should also cover the relationship between Chairman of the panel and members of the legal team of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), especially Mr Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) counsel to Governor Douye Diri.
Erepa appealed to the President of the Appeal Court to probe the veracity of the claims that Oyetibo was a personal friend and classmate of Justice Adeleye.
“Apart from the allegations contained in the petition, we are appealing to the President of the Court of Appeal to probe the way and manner Justice Adeleye was appointed the chairman of the tribunal.
“We want the appeal court President to verify the claims that Oyetibo, who is Douye Diri’s lawyer and Justice Adeleye were classmates and personal friends.
Erepa called on the court not to sweep all the insinuations and allegations contained in Sylva’s petition under the carpet describing them as hitting on the nucleus of judicial justice.
“The petition is alleging that Justice Adeleye distorted the testimonies of the witnesses and that he refused to give Sylva enough time to call his witnesses as earlier agreed between the tribunal and Sylva’s legal team.
“How can you give only seven days to call 234 witnesses and still insist on entertaining only eight witnesses a day against the earlier agreed 25 witnesses? The hurdle he created made Sylva and his team close their case after calling only 49 witnesses.
“After he reluctantly released his records of proceedings, Adeleye was accused of making many comments and observations in writing indicating that the tribunal had decided to favour Diri. Sylva’s team also claimed that the oral testimonies of the witnesses were distorted so much that in places where some witnesses said ‘yes’, Adeleye wrote ‘no’.”
“We are calling on the President of the Court of Appeal to immediately ask Justice Adeleye to recuse himself from the case to allow an independent investigation into these claims, which bother on the very essence of justice.
“The essence of the court is justice and for any case to have merit, justice should be seen as served and not manipulated. What we are asking is justice must prevail in this case”.