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Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has stated that alleged removal of the State Chief Judge, Justice Adepele Ojo has nothing to do with the death sentence of Chief Rahaman Adedoyin .
This clarification is coming following criticism that greeted the unlawful removal of Justice Ojo by the governor which has attracted a heavy criticism many including Nigeria Bar Association NBA.
In a statement issued by the spokesperson to the Governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed said “Our attention has been drawn to a defamatory fake news alleging that Governor Ademola Adeleke and his family are after the State’s Chief Judge because of the sentencing of Chief Rahaman Adedoyin.
“The truth which the public must be aware of is that Mr Governor is being blackmailed with the Adedoyin case for refusing to shield and protect the Chief Judge, his town woman, from corruption probe.
“The blackmail is a falsehood without any foundation in truth. Chief Adedoyin is not and has never, in whatever form, been a friend of the Adelekes.
“Secondly, neither the Governor nor his family had any contact or interference in the Adedoyin case while it lasted. From the beginning to the end, no member of the Adeleke family was involved in any way in the legal process.
Thirdly, Adedoyin was never in any way involved with the PDP, the party of the Governor. If anything, Adedoyin was a strong APC loyalist and an ally of the past Governor of Osun state.
“What is more, throughout the trial, Adedoyin’s legal team was manned by prominent APC lawyers from the beginning to the end. No single PDP lawyer was involved with the Adedoyin team.
“We affirm that the crisis rocking the state judiciary has to do with a series of petitions from judicial officials on alleged misconduct of the Chief Judge. On each occasion, those petitions always ended up unprocessed over deliberate blackmail with the Adedoyin matter until recent action by the State Assembly.
“The Governor’s sin is his consistent refusal to accept overtures to protect his kinswoman, the Chief Judge, from probe on alleged corruption.
“Mr Governor has always maintained his ground that if as a Governor he is not immunes from accountability questions, why should he use his office to protect another official because of blood or town kinship?.
“With all sense of responsibility, we declared that neither Governor Adeleke nor any member of his family has anything to do with the travails of the Chief Judge.
“The Governor’s refusal to shield his town people from the corruption probe, including the Chief Judge, is largely responsible for the failed attempt to blackmail the Governor with the Adeoyin case.
“We reject the shameful linkage on alleged corruption within the judiciary and the Adedoyin matter. Public officials are not immune from accountability issues.
“We assert strongly that the Governor is not in any way linked with either the petition against the Chief Judge or the infamous Adedoyin case. The Number One Citizen will not use his office to shield anybody from accountability questions even if that person is from his family.
“The Governor has subsequently directed the state law officers to prosecute anybody peddling such defamatory and libelous publications as such fake news has no foundation in truth or reality”,the statement concluded .
