Ogun PDP Crisis: Judge Absence Stalls Court Proceedings, Adebutu Supporters Storm Court

By ABIODUN JIMOH, ABEOKUTA

It was unholy disappointment for supporters of Hon. Ladi Adebutu as the presiding judge of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, Hon. Justice Abubakar Shittu was absent on Monday to preside on the legal battle involving two bigwigs in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ogun State chapter.

The supporters who came in large numbers across the state had arrived the court premises at Oke-Mosan as early as 7:30am, but left the premises unhappy when the news of the Justice Shittu absent was brokered by the Registrar of the court.

The cases with Suit No: FHC/AB.
CS/24/2020, and FHC/AB/CS/44/2020 have been lingering before the honourable judge, and were earlier said to have been transfered to the Chief Judge of the Court in Abuja over petitions written by one of the parties, claiming to have lost confidence in Justice Shittu handling the case.

Counsels to the two parties, Barrister Muyiwa Obanewa (defendants) and Barrister Ifeoma Eson (plaintiff) alongside their partners were amased when the Registrar of the court announced that the judge would not be available to hear the case.

This did not augur well with the legal teams as well as supporters of Hon. Adebutu, as they all went home disappointed, while the hearing has been adjourned till July 7th, 2020.

It could be recalled that Justice Shittu had earlier written a notice of withdrawal from the case based on petition written by one of the parties, claiming to have lost confidence in him

Justice Shittu had on the June 18th, 2020 written: “In view of the allegations, I am of the respectful view that it will not be proper for me to continue to hear the case since one of the parties has lost confidence in me.

“Consequently, the cases ought to be and is hereby transferred to Hon. Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for him to assign same to another judge who will hear and determined it to conclusion.”

Meanwhile, in an interview with journalists, Counsel to the defendants, Barr. Obanewa expressed disappointment at the matter, noting that he was surprised to have heard about the case coming up again in Abeokuta having been told earlier that it would come up in Abuja.

He stated: “We were told that the judge is indisposed and for that reason the court will not seat today, so they have adjourned the matter till 7th of July.

“Let me give you a little bit background, on the 9th of June, we came before this judge and on his own, judge himself said he was going to repeat himself on this matter and adjourned or took all the files to the Chief Judge in Abuja for him to reassign to another judge in Abuja, that was on the 9th of June, and we thought that our next place on this matter would be in Abuja.

“Surprisingly, on the 17th of June, I got a hearing notice asking us to come to court today. In fact, I was baffled I did not accept hearing that notice, because this is a matter that have been transfered to Abuja and the file is still here, and we are now ask to come back to this same court.

“Then we believe strongly that there must be something. I came because I wanted to appear and protest today to tell the Judge that I am not suppose to be here. The file is no longer supposed to be here. The court has been moved to Abuja. Now the court did not seat. So we will wait till the 7th of July. We have to wait and see what is happening by that day.”

In the same vein, Counsel to the plaintiff, Barrister Eson on her part hinted: “The court is not indisposed to the case, the information we received from the Registrar of the court is that the judge is indisposed and is unable to seat. That is not peculiar to our case. It affects all the cases and there is nothing we can do than to take an adjournment for the matter to be held on another day, which is on July 17th, 2020.”