Counsel for Segun Oni, Chief Ademuyiwa Adeniyi, has accused supporters of Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State of preempting the judgment of the Supreme Court in the suit filed by Oni to challenge Fayemi’s eligibility.
After Oni lost at the Court of Appeal, he approached the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the decision of the appellate court which affirmed Fayemi’s eligibility to stand for election.
The Supreme Court heard the appeal on April 2 and reserved judgment till April 18, 2019.
However, Oni’s lawyer, Adeniyi, in a letter dated April 5, 2019 written to Fayemi’s lawyer, R.O. Balogun, complained about some social media reports making the rounds, suggesting that the Supreme Court had delivered its judgment and had dismissed Oni’s appeal against Fayemi.
Adeniyi made reference to one such report, tagged, “Breaking News: Supreme Court dismissed Engr. Segun Oni case & affirmed the Court of Appeal judgment in favour of Dr Fayemi.”
According to Oni’s lawyer, the social media reports were “sponsored and promoted by supporters of Dr Fayemi.”
The lawyer accused one Osika Seyi Ayeleso of posting on the Ekiti First Whatsapp platform on April 4 at 12.30pm that Oni lost to Fayemi at the apex court.
He said the same post was placed on the Ekiti First Whatsapp platform by one Oluwaseun Famiodu (popularly called ejanafish) from Ode Ekiti in Gbonyin Local Government.
Adeniyi alleged that it was the same way Fayemi’s supporters flooded the social media with similar reports shortly before the decision of the Court of Appeal, which went against his client.
He said, “Ordinarily, I would have counseled my client and his advisers to ignore and or discountenance this, but for the fact that prior to the pronouncement of the judgment of the Court of Appeal in CA/EK/94/2018, this same scenario occurred and indeed, excerpts of the judgment yet to be delivered were posted on the social media – only to be taken down shortly before my client could capture and print.
“It behoves me as counsel to draw the attention of their Lordships at the Supreme Court to this development, but I shall refrain from doing so for now.”
Adeniyi, however, said if Fayemi’s supporters did not desist from posting the stories complained about, he would ensure that Oni report the issue to the Supreme Court Justices.
