ABEOKUTA – A stalwart of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun state, Chief Olanrewaju Akeem Adisa has called on a governorship aspirant of the party, Otunba Jimi Lawal to tackle the alleged forgery and impersonation rather than misinforming the public.
Chief Adisa in response to Jimi Lawal’s recent letter to EFCC and ICPC wherein he referred to PDP’s petition to the anti-graft agencies on his alleged forgery and manipulation of delegate list as subjudice for all intent and purposes.
Lawal argued that, it is an elementary knowledge that once litigants have submitted their
grievances to a court of competent jurisdiction, the issues so submitted before
the court becomes subjudice for all intent and purposes.
But Chief Adisa in a counter claim on Saturday said the allegations contained in the party’s against Otunba Jimi Lawal to the anti-graft agencies are criminal in nature, unlike all issues in the pending suits that are before the court.
Adisa in a press release made available to THE ENCOUNTER NEWS explained that pending civil cases cannot prevent law enforcement agents from investigating allegations of crime.
The PDP leader noted that despite Mr Lawal and / or counsel’s knowledge as
regards the issue of subjudice, the said letter still delved into pending issues before
the courts.
He said Jimi Lawal’a letter to the anti-graft agencies was in desperate bid to misdirect the law enforcement agents and the general public.
He said, “whatever the author intends cannot definitely be a response to our petition alleging forgery.
“It is clear in all that the author of the letter premeditatedly avoided the questions raised in our petition and labored hard to mislead the general public, as well as the law enforcement agents.
“We do not expect that a lawyer will raise all issues contained in the purported letter as those issues are subject of litigation. Mr. Lawal and / or his lawyer know this fact. In fact, the author of the said letter stated that:
“…it is an elementary knowledge that once litigants have submitted their grievances to a court of competent jurisdiction, the issues so submitted before
the court becomes subjudice for all intent and purposes”.
“It is indeed an elementary principle of law. This elementary principle guided us in presenting our petition so much that we did not include any of the issues pending before any court in our said petitions.
“It may be of help to state that allegations contained in our petitions are criminal in
nature, unlike all issues in the pending suits that are in the civil realm. It is also elementary to state that pending civil cases cannot prevent law enforcement agents from investigating allegations of crime. We sincerely hope that Mr Lawal and / or his counsel will find the above mentioned points useful.
“It is however surprising that despite Mr Lawal and / or counsel’s knowledge as
regards the issue of subjudice, the said letter still delved into pending issues before
the courts. In a desperate bid to misdirect the law enforcement agents and the general
public, the letter insinuates that our petition revolves around:
“We will endeavour to make public the findings of the anti-graft agencies, as well as
the courts’ judgments once delivered.
“We want to assure the general public that the Peoples Democratic Party will not
relent in its efforts at reuniting our great party in Ogun State and in salvaging the
gateway state from the present socio-political crisis bedeviling it.
