Truth About Bayelsa Judicial Matter Will Be Revealed Soon, Says Olanipekun

Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) who led the legal team of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to sought the review of Supreme Court’s February 13, 2020 judgment on the last governorship election in Bayelsa election, has defended his action for filing the application and said the truth about the whole matter will be revealed soon.

Olanipekun, who spoke in Ikere, on Sunday, during a thanksgiving service at the ultra modern 1,600 capacity church auditorium he donated to Saint Peter’s Anglican Church, said his actions was within the best tradition of legal jurisprudence.

He pledged to break silence on the judgement of the apex court at the appropriate time.

The Supreme Court had on February 13 disqualified Mr. David Lyon, the APC candidate on the basis that his deputy, Chief Degi Biobarakuma-Eremionye forged his academic certificates.

The Apex Court subsequently declared the candidate of the PDP, Senator Duoye Diri, winner of the poll and was sworn-in as the Governor.

Dissatisfied with the verdict, the APC and its candidates, David Lyon through their counsel Olanipekun and Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) respectively filed an application before the apex court to seek review of its earlier judgement.

In its judgement the Supreme Court dismissed and held that the applications were without merit and amounted to abuse of court process.

Justice Amina Augie, who read the lead ruling, said the application was an attempt to make the court violate its rules and provision of the Constitution which makes it the final court of the land.

Justice Augie said the applications, if granted has the capacity of belittling the dignity and status of the court and open a floodgate for such request in the future.

She expressed regret that senior lawyers in the country could be involved in the filing of such applications.

Subsequently, the apex court awarded the costs of N10m to be personally paid by David Lyon’s lawyer, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), and APC’s lawyer, Olanipekun (SAN) for agreeing to an application for the review of the apex court’s judgment on Bayelsa election.

Speaking on the issue, Olanipekun said: “I have never regretted any of my actions since I started my legal practice, because I always abide by the ethics of the job.

“The truth about the matter will be revealed soon, but I have the conviction that I have done no wrong, because this is a profession I love so much. I saw legal profession as a ministry.

“I am convinced and knew that what we did was within the best tradition in law, I can tell anyone about this. But I will speak about the whole thing at the appropriate time, I won’t say more than that now,” he said.