Date: 2018-12-24

•Party accuses PDP of PVC-buying The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara State yesterday said it had reported the alleged misdemeanour of Justice T. S. Umar of the State High Court to the National Judicial Commission (NJC).

Justice Umar, on Wednesday, said the dissolution of the APC executives, led by Ishola Balogun-Fulani, by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party was illegal, null and void.

He also declared the Balogun-Fulani exco with loyalists of Senate President Bukola Saraki as the authentic APC executives in the state.

Addressing reporters yesterday in Ilorin, the state capital, APC State Chairman Bashir Bolarinwa said the conduct of Justice Umar during the trial smacked of alleged partisanship.

He said: "Since the commencement of the case in July, Ishola Balogun-Fulani and his cohorts have always boasted to whoever cared to listen that the Kwara State Judiciary is in the pocket and full grip and control of one man.

"I wish to intimate you that every conduct of Justice T. S. Umar that made the judgment no news has been documented and forwarded by our lawyers to the Chief Judge of Nigeria (CJN) as the chairman of the National Judicial Commission (NJC) and copied to the Chief Judge (CJ) of the state.

"As believers in the rule of law and ability of the judiciary to dispense justice without fear or favour and in the best tradition of incorruptible judiciary, we refused to take their boisterous attitude and utterances as mere psychological ego massaging.

"Alas, the developments that culminated in the judgment and the conduct of Justice T. S. Umar in the course of trial have proved to us that our absolute belief in the impartiality and absolute integrity of every judicial officer is grossly misplaced in the instance case.

"It is, therefore, not surprising that since Friday, when the case was adjourned till Wednesday for judgment, Balogun-Fulani and his cohorts as well as their sponsors have been assuring their fellow Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members that their aim to weaken the train of change in the state will start to materialise as judgment in their favour is a forgone deal and conclusion."