A High Court sitting in Lokoja has adjoined a case seeking to disqualify the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) Engr. Musa Wada from contesting the Nov 16 governorship election to Nov 27 for defence.
Alhaji Abubakar Idris, who is the son of former governor of the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris had dragged Wada who is his brother in-law to court on the ground that he was not properly elected at the party’s primary as the standard bearer of the party and therefore urged the court to disqualify him and declare him( Abubakar) as the winner of the party’s primary.
The court had adjoined the case last Friday till Tuesday after all the witnesses of the claimant testified and were cross examined by the counsels .
When the case however came up for defence, counsel to the first defendant (PDP) Kola Olowookere
told the court that the former counsel handling the case was indisposed and has therefore handed over the case to him and that he needed time to obtain record of proceedings from the registry of the court inorder to study it.
He also said the case file handed over to him was less than 24 hours and that he needed time to study the file whether to continue with the case as at the staged it reached or to modify it by calling more witnesses.
Olowookere therefore requested the court to adjoin the case requesting for five working weeks so that he would be able to study the case properly and continue ( if necessary) at the stage it has reached.
He stressed that for Justice and fair hearing to be dispensed to all parties enough time must be given for the trial judge to ” hear all the hearable and see all the seeable”
But counsel to Abubakar Idris, Mr . Rowland Otaru ( SAN)stoutly objected to the plea for adjournment saying the counsel to the first defendant ( PDP) does not need any extra time to study a case which has reached a defence level saying the court must be mindful that the issue at contention which is the Governorship election is just 11 days away and of public interest
He said the defendant was only using a delaying tactic to prolong the case and reminded the trial judge that he promised to give the case an expeditious hearing and therefore urged the court to over rule the plea.
Counsel to the second defendant ( Wada) Prof Joas Amupitan SAN while supporting the plea for adjournment told the trial court not to allow anybody to stampede the court in arriving at a decision that is not fair to all the parties saying the principle of Justice and fair hearing is a tripod issue that affects not only the claimant but both the defendant and even the court .
He said since the case was a pre election matter the court is constitutionally allowed to adjudicate in the matter within 180 days and that the court still has many days at it’s side and should therefore not allowed it to be rushed in a way that Justice will be miscarried.
After hearing all the parties, the trial judge, Richard Olorunfemi in his ruling said nobody can pressurize or stampede him to do anything outside the law saying he has read in social media how some insuniations were made against him and that he remains undaunted because he has made a convenant with God not take bribe from anyone.
According to him” none of you can buy me over, whether it is APC or PDP or anybody. I have made a convenant with my God precisely on May 18, 1999 that if i up turn Justice for any monetary gain or favour that God should remove me from where I am because my being a judge is by his Mercy”
Meanwhile, the trial judge while accepting the plea for adjournment said the court must not be made to embark on ‘neck breaking speed’ when there is still much time to hear all sides of the case and added that for the principle of fair hearing and Justice to be given to all parties, no one should be deprived from being adequately heard.
He therefore adjourned the case to Nov 27 for defence.
