Governor is playing politics with the courts – SERAP

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has accused Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state of playing politics with the courts.

This is coming on the heels of the order by Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, mandating the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to unfreeze Fayose’s account.

According to Punch, SERAP said the EFCC might not unfreeze the Governor’s account, because Justice Taiwo is “a judge of a coordinate jurisdiction with Justice Mohammed Idris of the Lagos State High Court, who granted the EFCC the order to freeze Fayose’s accounts.”

The Executive Director of SERAP, Adetokunbo Mumuni said Fayose is supposed to go to the Appeal court to get an order.

Mumuni said “Mr. Fayose can’t dangle the order obtained from Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti as the ‘talisman’ to set aside an earlier order by Justice M.B. Idris of the Federal High Court, Lagos, as it is clear that they are courts of coordinate jurisdiction.

“SERAP believes that Mr. Fayose cannot use the order by Justice Taiwo to ward off the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from carrying out investigation on allegations of corruption and money laundering against him, as this is not, at all, covered by Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) on immunity.

“The case of Uwazuruike vs. Attorney General of the Federation (2008) 10 NWLR makes it clear that the order of a court of coordinate jurisdiction like that of the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti cannot affect the proceedings before the Federal High Court, Lagos.

“The persistent attempts by politicians to engage in forum-shopping by seeking the most favourable order to set aside an earlier order of a court of coordinate jurisdiction amount to a willful abuse of court process. Such practices if not stopped will have grave consequences for the rule of law and the integrity of the judiciary in the country.

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“Allowing the politicians to abuse the process of court and play politics with the judiciary tends to cast the judiciary in an unfavourable light, thus leaving judges at the mercy of the political class.”

In June 2016, Governor Ayo Fayose’s Zenith bank account was blocked by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).