Ogun PDP crisis: OPC, COSEG protest against judge

A coalition of four groups on Monday visited the premises of the Supreme Court and Federal High Court in Abuja to protest against the alleged conduct of a Judge of Federal High Court in Abuja. The groups also urged the Acting Chief Judge of the FHC, Justice Ibrahim Auta, to re-assign Justice Abdul Kafarati from handling cases arising from the crisis rocking the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party. The protesters also despatched a petition to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, asking him to intervene in the matter to save the judiciary from ridicule. The petititon was copied to The Presidency; President, the Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Salami; Nigerian Bar Association; Inspector-General of Police; Director-General, the State Security Service; and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN). The organisations, under the aegis of Coalition Against Annulment, included Oodua Peoples Congress, Coalition of Oodua Self-Determination Group, Centre for Ethics Development and Democracy and the National Association of Nigerian Students. The protesters, who were led by Executive Director of CEDAD, Ismail Olawale; Kazeem Dauda and Femi Davies, said Justice Kafarati should be removed, claiming that he was partial in handling certain cases before him and his alleged collaboration with former President Olusegun Obasanjo to perpetrate injustice to the people of Ogun State. Some of the placards displayed by the protesters include, ‘UAD demands that for free, fair elections, we need impartial judges,’ ‘NANS demands resignation of Justice Kafarati,’ ‘Nigerian democracy stinks’, ‘Save our democracy, Kafarati must quit now’ and ‘Bassey Ikpeme truncated June 12, Kafarati may truncate 2011.’ The groups further urged the CJN to investigate why all matters involving the PDP always had the special attention of Justice Kafarati. They also want the CJN to investigate for review, the injunction granted by Justice Kafarati which held that the Joju Fadairo led-faction of the PDP in Ogun State should not be recognised as the legitimate executive, and the judgment which declared the Obasanjo’s faction of the party as the authentic faction of the PDP in the state. They are also asking the CJN to reassign the case between the Ogun State PDP and Peoples Party of Nigeria in line with the directive of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court that all election matters be treated in the state from where they originated. Speaking during the protest, the FCT coordinator of OPC, Chief Adedeji Oluwole, warned that there would be a repeat of the popular June 12 impasse if the corruption in the judiciary was not addressed, saying it was a threat to the country’s democracy. By Friday Olokor, Abuja Courtesy Of:Punch