The PDP in Ondo State, has again raised alarm that it is still yet to receive the Certified True Copies of Appeal Court judgment on Ondo poll, delivered last week Wednesday in Akure, the state capital.
Its publicity secretary, Kennedy Peretei stated this in a statement released to press men on Monday.
The PDP observed that copies of the judgment should have been made available on the day the ruling was given or at the least on Thursday last week.
Below is the full statement:
For the third time in a row, we wish to alert Nigerians and the international community that officials of the Court of Appeal in Ado-Ekiti and Akure are still stalling our bid to obtain the Certified True Copies of the judgment of the Court delivered on the appeal filed by PDP and Eyitayo Jegede, SAN against Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, nearly a week after the judgment was delivered.
Ordinarily, the Certified True Copies should have been out Wednesday or latest Thursday last week.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ondo State Chapter, wishes to state that our members are becoming restive over this matter and it is our hope that Ondo State, and by implication the entire country, would not be thrown into needless chaos over the refusal of officials of the Court of Appeal to avail us of the said copies.
Nothing but willful disobedience of the Constitution, unethical practices and blatant refusal to follow public service rules and ethics will explain a situation whereby a major political party and appellant in an election case would have to resort to press releases to get officials of the Judiciary to do their job. We are being portrayed as beggars in our own country despite the weight of the Constitution and the Law of Natural Justice on our side.
We reiterate that the Supreme Court has only 60 days from the date of the judgment of the Court of Appeal, to dispose of this matter, and this refusal to release the Certified True Copies of the judgment amounts to delay tactics designed to frustrate our case at the apex court. This is a strange development in our jurisprudence.
We appeal to the President of the Court of Appeal and the National Judicial Council (NJC) to prevail on the Court of Appeal to perform the responsibilities of that office and accede to our request without delay.
Justice delayed is justice denied.
Kennedy Ikantu Peretei
State Publicity Secretary, Ondo PDP.
21 June, 2021.