Okutepa SAN Raises Alarm Over Safety Of Judges, Tribunal Officials In Kogi Election Dispute

*Says Constitutionally Timing Of Filling The Petition Met Despite Attack
*Condemns Attack On Kogi Tribunal Secretary
*Says NBA Must Act On Judicial Sabotage In Kogi

Renowned legal practitioner Otumba Olumofin J.S.Okutepa SAN has strongly condemned the appalling attack on the Secretary of the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal today, December 4, 2023.

The Secretary was assaulted by hired political thugs in Lokoja while in possession of copies of an election petition filed by the legal team of Alhaji Murtala Yakubu and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The petition, labeled No: EPT/KG/Gov/03/2023, was timely filed on December 2, 2023, within the constitutionally mandated 21 days after the declaration of the Kogi State Governorship Election results on November 12, 2023. The attack occurred despite the petition being duly received, stamped, and certified on December 2, 2023.

According to respected Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Otumba Olumofin J.S. Okutepa, the attack represents an effort to intimidate the judiciary and scuttle the election case through violence and coercion. He said the filed petition which challenges the outcome of the recent November 11th Kogi governorship polls is facing obstruction from powerful political forces afraid of electoral transparency.

Okutepa, who is part of the SDP legal team, raised alarms over what he termed the ‘desperation’ and ‘rascality’ being exhibited to subvert judicial inspection of the controversial Kogi elections. He accused the state government of lawlessness and failure of governance that has created an environment of fear and impunity.

The senior lawyer urged immediate federal government intervention to restore sanity in Kogi and provide protection for judicial officers handling contentious election petitions. He warned that without adequate security, the lives of judges and lawyers are at risk from the aggrieved politicians bent on burying election malpractices.

Okutepa also called on the Nigerian Bar Association to speak out and act swiftly amidst the deteriorating respect for rule of law in Kogi state. He advised that the judiciary must not ignore the brazen attacks on its integrity and processes. Respect for the courts in election matters hangs in the balance.

Read His Statement In Full

LET THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA SAVE THE SOULS OF JUDGES, LAWYERS AND WORKERS IN KOGI STATE ELECTION PETITION TRIBUBNAL.

TODAY, being the 4th of December 2023, the Secretary of Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal was attacked at guns points by hired political thugs in Lokoja. At the time the attacks occurred the Secretary was with copies of election petition filed on the 2/12/2023 by the legal team of Alhaji Murtala Yakubu and Social Democratic Party, SDP.

The said petition was filed on the 2/12/2023. The petition is No: EPT/KG/Gov/03/2023. The said petition was duly received and stamped on the 2/12/2023 and certified by Mr U. D. Mike On the said date. By the provisions of Section 285(5) of the 1999,election petitions are to be filed within 21 days after the date of the declaration of the result of the election.

The result of the Kogi State Governorship Election was declared on the 12/11/2023. This petition was filed within time allowed by the constitution. The petition submitted was in three volumes. They are numbered volumes 1,2, and 3.

Despite the fact that the petition was filed within time and duly paid for, and completed copies were submitted and security deposit paid, some very uninformed and political miscreants who can accept to do any dirty job just for peanuts went to town in the name of an amorphous NGO, that claimed to be non-partisan and non-political, to misinformed the public that SDP and its candidate did not file the petition within time.

They made many incoherent and unfounded unintelligent allegations in the name of democracy and misconducted themselves professionally and then exhibited crass knowledge of law to satisfy their paid masters.

As a legal practitioner in the legal team that prepared and filed the petition, I did not see any sense in the sponsored press statement issued by these learned gentlemen if indeed they are lawyers. They should have known better.

My main worry here is the desperations being exhibited by some politicians in Kogi State who are afraid of allowing the conduct of the so called election of 11/11/2023 to be judicially examined. These anti democratic forces and agents of darkness have done everything since after that election to stop the examinations of the conduct of the said election.

Kogi State has become so lawless under Yahaya Bello as Governor. There is complete failure of governance in the State. The attacks against the Secretary of the Tribunal and subsequent snatching of the petition filed by the legal team of Murtala Yakubu and SDP by agents of darkness in Kogi State and by those working for those who rigged their ways into the office is not only unfortunate but it constitutes an attack against the judiciary.

It is a direct interference with judicial process. I hope the Nigerian government will view this unfortunate incident seriously and ensure that sanity is restored in Kogi State. There is political insanity in Kogi State. There is political miasma in kogi State. There is total disdain for judiciary and judicial institution by Kogi State and the agents of the state.

How long will the President of Nigeria keep quiet and look the other ways when all is not well in Kogi State. It is shameful that those who rigged the election in Kogi State on 11/11/2023 are not allowing the conduct of the said election to be examined. It is sad. Given what is going on in Kogi State the lives of lawyers and judges handling this petition are not saved. Nigerian Government has a duty to do something and urgently too to avoid lawyers and judges being killed. The Federal Government of Nigeria must save the souls of all who have to handle these petitions.

The Nigerian Bar Association must speak and act now. It is becoming too difficult to practice law in Nigeria. Those who rigged that election are desperate and they are doing everything to scuttle the hearing and determination of the petition. The judiciary must ensure that it takes judicial notice of the rascality going on in the state. There must be an end to this state sponsored attacks.

Nigerians are watching the Federal Government of Nigeria. Kogi State must be monitored strictly to avoid further anarchy. People are being pushed to the wall. There is a limit to human endurance. Kogi must not be allowed to be on fire any further. Enough is enough.

Otumba Olumofin J.S.Okutepa SAN
4th December 2023.