Lawyer kicks as NJC dismisses petition against Ondo CJ

bibing

A lawyer, Femi Emodamori, has condemned the dismissal of a petition he filed against the Ondo State Chief Judge, Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi, by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

Emodamori petitioned the NJC, alleging that Justice Kumuyi abused his office by directing the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Eyitayo Jegede, to administer the oath of office on Deputy Governor Lasisi Oluboyo.

The lawyer was surprised that the NJC could reply that the petition had no substance, despite earlier describing it as a petition which “speaks for itself” and directed the chief justice to respond within 14 days.

His reply to the NJC reads: “I received your letter dated October 28 on the above-subject matter wherein you stated that you had been directed to inform me that ‘there is no substance’ in my petition dated September 4 in respect of the above-captioned matter and that ‘the error noticed on the oath papers is not enough to warrant action to be taken by council on the chief judge’.

“Your letter was sequel to an earlier one dated September 17 signed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and Chairman of the National Judicial Council, Mahmud Mohammed, directed to Justice O. Kumuyi (the Ondo State chief judge) to react within 14 days.

“The NJC chairman had, in that letter, described my petition as a petition, which “speaks for itself”. The petition was forwarded with that letter to Kumuyi and a copy of the letter was made available to me.

“It would be difficult to understand how a petition that “speaks for itself” would subsequently be described as a petition having “no substance” by the same NJC.

“I stated in the petition that Justice Kumuyi “deliberately or wilfully” issued a false public certificate claiming to be the person who administered the oath of allegiance and oath of office on the Ondo State Deputy Governor, thereby committing a felony contrary to and punishable under Section 105 of the Criminal Code Act.

“I exhibited photographs and video recordings showing that it was the Ondo State attorney-general and commissioner for Justice that administered the oaths to the petition.

“I went further to exhibit the false certificate issued by Justice Kumuyi, which your letter under reference described as “oath papers” wherein Justice Kumuyi falsely, intentionally and criminally represented himself and personally signed as the person who administered the oaths. I stated that Justice Kumuyi had abused and brought his office into disrepute.”

Source: The Nation