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ASenior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Adekunle Oyesanya, has described last Tuesday’s judgement that sacked Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and his deputy, Dr Kelechi Igwe, as one that appears as if the judge did not trail the line of the appellate courts on politicians cross carpeting.
In his words: “It appears the Learned Trial Judge distinguished the case before him from those line of cases where the appellate courts have held that there is no constitutional provision that allows the courts to invalidate the tenureship of the President, VP, and by extension, Governors and deputy Governors when they cross-carpet unlike in the case of legislators.”
The senior advocate, in a chat with TNG reporter on Thursday, condemned the act of lawyers using harsh and impudent language on a Judge over a judgement.
Calling on the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, and all the institutions of the legal profession to condemn such act, he said “even if a judge may be very wrong in his reasoning, but that is no excuse to use harsh and impudent language on such a Judge.
“It is more worrisome when such behaviour comes from lawyers, senior ones at that. That is not our training as lawyers.”
He opined that it is wrong and unpardonable for anybody whosoever, “no matter how highly-ranked”, as has happened in this case, to condemn a Judge on a Judgment he (judge) has delivered based on the facts before him.”
Oyesanya, who was conferred with the rank of SAN on September 11, 2012, noted that he is always wary of commenting fully on judgements of court that he has not read, “except for snippets and bits that one gathers from the print and broadcast media and the social media.
“I will therefore prefer to read that judgment fully before commenting. I think it is rather hasty and flippant for any lawyer to make unsavoury and rude comments about the Judex based on what he or she has read in the media.”
Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday declared as illegal, the defection of Governor Umahi and his deputy from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).