BY YAYA ADEMOLA
JUSTICE has to do with just behaviour or treatment. It has to do with giving each person what he/she deserves. Justice and fairness are identical twins. Any society where justice and fairness are absent is doomed. In a recent instalment of OBSERVATION (22 – 28rd February, 2022) titled, “APC Primaries: “Victory” Built On Sand” I wrote, “It is instructive to note that Governor Oyetola who was one of the aspirants contesting in the primaries is a member of Governor Mai Mala Buni led APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee {CECPC), which was organising the said primaries. If Governor Gboyega Oyetola knew that he wanted to contest in an election that would be conducted by that CECPC in which he is a member, he supposed to have resigned from the Mai Mala Buni led APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) four weeks earlier. APC constitution is very clear on this when it states in article 31(iii) of its constitution, “Any Party office holder interested in contest for an elective office (whether party office or office in a general election) shall resign and leave office 30 days prior to the date of nomination or party primary for the office he or she is seeking to contest.”
Since that publication, I have received WhatsApp messages and telephone calls from those who loved it on one hand and those who detested it on the other hand. Anyway, we cannot all think or walk in same direction. Moreover, what appears as six (6) to one person could appear as nine (9) to another, depending on where one is positioned.
However, justice and fair play have no colouration; you’re either served or denied. For the benefit of those who may not know the nitty gritty of the issue at stake, the following is the list of APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) members as constituted by National Executive Committee (NEC) at its meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on 25, June, 2020: 1. Governor Mai Bala Buni (Yobe) Chairman; 2. Isiaka Oyetola, Governor Osun (South West); 3. Ken Nnamani (South East); 4. Stella Okorete (Women Rep); 5. Governor Sani Bello (North Central); 6. Dr. James Lalu (Physically challenged); 7. Sen. Abubakar Yusuf (Senate Rep); 8. Hon. Akinyemi Olaide (House of Reps); 9. David Lyon (South South); 10. Abba Ari (North West); 11. Prof. Tahir Mamman (North East); 12. Ismail Ahmed (Youths); 13. Sen. Akpan Udoedehe (Secretary).
This Mai Bala leadership has been in charge and organising Osun APC primaries from Ward to Local and State. It is the same leadership that conducted and supervised 19th February, 2022 open primaries to elect the party candidate from three aspirants –Isiaka Oyetola (Governor); Moshood Adeoti (Ex-SSG) and Lasun Yussuf (Ex-Deputy Speaker, House of Reps).
On 18th January, 2022, exactly four weeks to 19th February, 2022 primary to elect Osun APC flag bearer for 16 July 2022 governorship election, the Rebirth Group, a pressure body in the APC had called for resignation of Governor Oyetola from CECPC ahead of the primary election via a statement from its leader, Mr. Aliyu Audi which established that Oyetola continuous membership of the committee contravenes Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution as amended which states, “The governor shall not, during the period when he holds office, hold any other executive office or paid employment in any capacity whatsoever.”
Before then, the Aregbesola/Salinsile led APC leadership in the state had met with Senator Abdulahi Adamu led National Reconciliation Committee on Saturday, 8 January, 2022, with a petition that Governor Oyetola should resign from Buni led CECPC if he was interested in contesting at the forthcoming primaries. Instead of heeding the merit of the petition, it was waved aside by the Secretary to Oyetola/Famodun led APC Congress Committee, Mr. Sunday Akere, saying, “The TOP members have no right whatsoever to dwell on issues that do not concern them as their demand for resignation of Mr. Governor from the APC National Caretaker Committee connotes.” Now, the primaries had come and gone, CECPC has refused to constitute an appeal committee to look into any grievances of any aspirant at the primaries two weeks after. A school of thought is of the opinion that Governor Oyetola is using influence of his CECPC membership to delay constitution of appeal committee so as to frustrate those who have grievances and in the process, head to court to seek justice. Should his contenders – Adeoti and Lasun – head to court to seek redress, court will rule that it has no jurisdiction as internal party machinery to redress grievances had not been exhausted. Hence, a pyrrhic victory for Oyetola.
This is why justice perversion is inevitable when one is a judge in his/her own case. Those with grievances on the primaries should be diligent in presentation of their case to the party constituted appeal committee even if it is headed by Governor Oyetola himself before heading to court for prosecution if dissatisfied with the outcome. Anything short of this by rushing to court will lead to perversion of justice which will be unacceptable to members of the party whose votes at the primaries were not made to count.
