Osun: Supreme Court Robbed Adeleke, PDP-Lawyers

A civil rights organisation, Coalition of Public Interest Lawyers and Advocates (COPILA) has expressed concern over the verdict of the Supreme Court which affirmed the victory of Governor Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
They wondered why the supreme court would punish candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ademola Adeleke, because of purported absence of Justice Peter Obiora during one of the tribunal sittings.
According to the organisation, by that action, the apex court has substantially spat in the face of the Osun electorate and elevated technicalities against substantive justice.
“It is only in a corrupt entity called Nigeria that the mistake of a judge in a case is ruled as the mistake of a litigant!”, the coalition said.
The Convener of COPILA, Pelumi Olajengbesi in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday entitled: “Osun State: An aberration of Justice enforced by the Supreme Court”, said the verdict has killed “the long vision of liberating Osun State.”
He said that although judiciary has been referred to as the last hope of the common man and fourth estate holding up the pillars of any democracy, the supreme court has erred in the Osun State example.
Olajengbesi said, “The journey to the disaffirmation of what we have long known as the truth has been arduous and trying. The path to justice was strewn with setbacks, proxy wars, shadow-battles and concerted efforts which meticulously pulled wool over the eyes of justice against the good people of Osun state.