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Ogboru accuses judiciary of bias
MALACHY UZENDU, Abuja
TURNER Ogboru, younger brother of the former Alliance for Democracy (AD) gubernatorial candidate in Delta State,
Chief Great Ogboru, Tuesday accused the nation�s judiciary of bias.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, Mr. Ogboru also alleged that some powerful people in the judiciary had taken sides
with the state governor, Chief James Ibori.
Ogboru�s outbursts started right inside the chambers of the Court of Appeal when the court was taking a decision
on the way forward in the appeal filed by the governor over the relocation of the state�s Election Tribunal to
Abuja.
Counsels in the matter had after introducing themselves and after the papers filed by them had been sorted out
by the court, were asked by Justice Tanko Muhammadu, the presiding judge, to address them as to whether the issue
at stake was a constitutional matter or a clear-cut election petition.
That was meant to enable the court take decision on the number of panelists that should hear the case.
Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN) leading the governor�s legal team and Mr. T.A. Akahume, who appeared for the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its officers, had submitted that the court needed more than three members
on the panel to hear the case, while Chief Akintola Adeniyi (SAN), leading the legal team for Chief Ogboru submitted
that the issue of constitution was incidental to the matter which was purely an electoral petition.
But immediately Justice Muhammadu ruled that the major issue at stake in the appeal border on interpretation of
Section 285 (2) of the constitution and paragraph 19 (2) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act 2002, he would
refer back the matter to the President of the Court to constitute proper panel to hear the matter, Mr. Turner Ogboru
exploded.
The infuriated Ogboru approached his brother�s counsel in the Inner Bar and asked him to leave the courtroom over
alleged bias. Even though the lawyer, Chief Adeniyi, apologised to the presiding judge on the attitude, Mr. Ogboru
made far-greater outbursts.
Addressing journalists later, he alleged that the presiding Justice Muhammadu was "clearly biased against
us".
He claimed that rather than allow the appeal to be heard, the judge had adopted several arm-twisting strategies
to frustrate the petition.
"I want to tell you that there are over 30 petitions held up in Delta State because the outcome of this appeal
will determine whether they can go on or not.
"The judge obviously is biased against us. Several times, he had adjourned this matter and I want to tell
you we shall soon be forwarding a petition to the National Judicial Council (NJC) over the attitude," Turner
Ogboru declared.
He likened their predicament at the court to the judgement which cleared Ibori of the ex-convict allegation, pointing
out that "except we act now and pursue this matter, the remaining bad elements in the judiciary will still
remain in the system".
© 2004 @ Champion Newspapers Limited (All Right Reserved).
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