The Federal
High Court in Abuja, on Monday, fixed October 31 for the arraignment of the
Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in the September 22, 2018
election in Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, and four others, on charges of
examination malpractices.
The judge,
Justice I.E Ekwo, during a brief hearing, which was stalled due to Adeleke’s
absence on Monday, directed the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris,
to ensure all the five defendants were brought to court for arraignment on
October 31.
“The
prosecution is ordered to ensure the defendants are in court at the next date,
to take their plea,” the judge ruled.
The IG,
through the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Simon Lough, had on September 19, 2018 filed four counts
of examination malpractices against Adeleke and his four co-accused.
Adeleke, who
was defeated by the All Progressives Congress’ candidate in the Osun State
governorship election, Adegboyega Oyetola, has filed a petition before the
election petition tribunal challenging the cumulative results of the September
22 election and the September 27 re-run declared by the Independent National
Electoral Commission.
The
prosecutor, Lough, informed the judge on
Monday that the matter marked, FHC/ABJ/CR/156/2018, was coming up for the first
time on Monday.
The
prosecution accused the five defendants of committing examination malpractices
by fraudulently, through personation, registering Adeleke and another Sikiru
Adeleke, as students of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, in Ojo-Aro in Osun
State, for the National Examination Council’s June/July 2017 Senior School
Certificate Examination in February 2017.
Charged by
the police alongside Adeleke were,
Sikiru Adeleke; the principal of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, Alhaji Aregbesola
Muftau; the registrar of the school, Gbadamosi Ojo; and a teacher in the
school, Dare Samuel Olutope.
While the
four other defendants were present in court on Monday, Adeleke was absent.
His lawyer,
Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN), informing the judge that the governorship candidate not
in court because of ill health.
Izinyon
said, “His Personal Assistant informed me yesterday (Sunday) that he was
indisposed because he was stooling.
“He sent a
sent medical report to that effect.”
Izinyon said
he had served the medical report, showing his client was on medication, on the
prosecution.
He pleaded
with the court to grant a short adjournment to enable the first defendant to
recover.
The
prosecuting counsel, Lough, acknowledged that the medical report had been
served on him.
He also
urged the court to grant a short adjournment.
Comments