Besides, the judge, who appeared by proxy before a seven-man panel hearing the petition urged members of the panel to make a copy of the response by governor Aregbesola available to her to enable her determine whether issues raised in her petition had been properly answered.
She said availability of the governor’s response already sent to the assembly would offer her an opportunity to determine the way forward in her petition.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria {SAN} and former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Ogun state, Mr Lanre Ogunlesi led three other junior lawyers to represent Justice Oloyede before the panel yesterday.
Ogunlesi, answering reporters questions shortly after they emerged from the venue of the panel in the assembly complex said Jusice Oloyede would also appear before the panel in person once the committee make copy of the governor’s response to her petition available to her.
He however expressed worry that going by the body language of panel members, Aregbesola’s response might not be made available to the petitioner.
He explained that what the judge expects in her petition is to be given fair hearing and justice before the panel closes investigation into the matter.
The chairman of the panel Akintunde Adegboye representing Osogbo constituency, who also doubles as Deputy Speaker, dropped a bombshell when he disclosed that the celebrated petition had died on arrival but members had to rescue it in view of the attention and controversy it had received.
Adegboye explained that the petition did not follow the rule of the house which prescribes that all petitions to the assembly must be signed page by page in accordance to the house rule and also routed through a member of the assembly from the petitioner’s constituency.
Briefing reporters after the session, he noted Justice Oloyede’s petition violated Order 26,rule 1-6 which empowered the house to throw out a petition which does not comply to the rule guiding assembly conduct.
Adegboye said the panel is on fact-finding mission and not out to try the petitioner insisting that the judge ought to have been available, present other evidences to clarify what is contained in her petition.
He said, ‘’The purpose of the invitation sent to her is not to put her on trial because this is a fact –finding panel and not a court of law. Her presence here today would have helped her and the panel to move forward in the matter’’.
‘’I must let you know that the petition had died on arrival but members had to waive the house rule to entertain it in view of the controversy and attention it has generated’’,Adegboye said.
Responding to a question, he gave credence to the fear raised by Ogunlesi on need to give the judge fair hearing by making available to her the response to her petition adding that the governor’s response remains the property of the assembly.
According to him, the reply sent to the house by the governor on the petition is a document exclusively meant for the house and not to be circulated to the public.
‘’This panel will not send governor Aregbesola’s response to the petitioner because the house does not empower us to give such document to her. We have given her an opportunity to come and clarify the allegations she raised in her petition but what we have witnessed here today is surprising when she sent representatives to the panel’’.
The panel chairman was not categorical whether the governor would also be invited to defend himself in person before the committee.
There was unusual presence of securitymen within and outside the assembly complex while an Armoured Personnel Carrrier {APC} was stationed opposite the road
