Oni vs Fayemi: Fake news or echoing his master’s voice?

Admin l Sunday, April 14, 2019

IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – The eligibility case between Chief Olusegun Adebayo Oni and Dr. John Kayode Fayemi at the Supreme Court, Abuja, has entered another dimension. This is following a letter that Segun Oni’s lawyer, Chief Ademuyiwa Adeniyi wrote to Dr. Kayode Fayemi’s lawyer about the same case.

The crux of the letter, widely published in the news media is a warning to Fayemi and his followers to stop publishing fake news, rumors and innuendos about the case which was adjourned on April 2nd 2019 for ruling on April 18th, 2019 but which was later ‘decided’ by the Fayemi boys on April 3rd 2019 in favor of Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

Chief Adeniyi warned “Fayemi and his followers to stop peddling rumors that could foist a fait accompli on the decision of the Apex Court,” otherwise he would report the “demeanor to the Supreme Court.” The complaint of Chief Adeniyi was precipitated by unwarranted, crude and reckless publications in many social media platforms of so-called breaking news report, claiming that the Supreme Court has “dismissed Engr. Segun Oni Case and affirmed the Court of Appeal Judgement in favour of Dr. Kayode Fayemi.”

These are examples.

A good look at their so called “Breaking News,” will reveal a coordinated effort of sort amateurishly executed by some poorly educated, half-baked writers acting as errand boys, specifically recruited for doing such dirty jobs. Their wrong and bad news have been spread worldwide. And this is a world, where “bad news travel faster than good.”

Chief Adeniyi further complained that this was not the first time this kind of atrocious, despicable and desperate stealth activity would be carried out in the cause of this case. He said: “Ordinarily, I would have counseled my client and his advisers to ignore and or discountenance this but for the fact that prior to the pronouncement of the judgement of the Court of Appeal in CA/EK/94/2018 (the judgement appealed from), the same scenario occurred and indeed, excerpts of the judgement yet to be delivered were posted on social media- only to be taken down shortly before my clients could capture and print”.

This is a Mafia type operation, well organized and definitely not spontaneous. There can’t but be a sponsor and a financer who would be a beneficiary of the outcome of the surreptitious operation. The publishers are mere errand boys doing ‘bad jobs’ for their big boss. Most bad boys have no visible means of livelihood.

Purposely, they don’t hold political or cabinet positions for effective cover-up. They are key to getting what the boss wants, which he cannot get in an open rule of law atmosphere. In fact, they are paid in cash, which is non-traceable. The Boss and the operatives are sellers of dummies of the real thing they want for the Boss.

They work tactically, strategically and surreptitiously and the bad boys can easily be denied by the sponsor like a caught spy. Why has Dr. Kayode Fayemi not denied this atrocious news about him and the bad boys, if his hands are clean? But if he is the paymaster of the pipers dictating the tune, the characteristic taciturnity from him is not surprising.

They are expecting the public opinion and reaction to see if their idea of “ideal judgment” will be acceptable to the generality of the people no matter how unlawful, illegal or illegitimate its procurement may be. They are flying a kite to pre-empt the judgement of the Supreme Court scheduled for April 18, 2019. Governor Kayode Fayemi, wittingly and unwittingly shown reaction to this false publication.

For instance, appointments like those of Commissioners, Special Advisers and Statutory Board members that he could not make for six months of coming to power, have now been made within twenty-hours of the publication of their presumed judgement. Is somebody somewhere really assuring him of this judgement that has so much emboldened him? The Yorubas would say: “Oro ti ologbon ba ti so, enu omugo lati ngbo.” The words spoken by the wise are heard from the fool.

Is this fake news really fake? After all it could be but a settled expectation of what Kayode Fayemi is expecting as the judgement of the Supreme Court on April 18. Here are Seven Points to Ponder about:

Before the Ekiti State APC primary election, Fayemi projected himself as the candidate of the President. He describes himself “Proudly Buhari Boy.”
While the party banned camping he was the only aspirant that camped delegates in and outside of Ekiti state and nothing happened. In spite of the fact that he breached party requirements for participating in the primary elections, the Screening Committee of the party cleared him.

Fayemi confirmed he didn’t resign 30 days before election as expected by party Guidelines in a live Channel TV interview. In a sworn affidavit in an INEC form, already tendered in Courts, he affirmed that he’s a Public Servant under occupation column. In his voter’s card, under occupation he wrote “Public Servant.” He was a serving Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, when he contested the APC Governorship primary election of Ekiti State.

Fayemi has been in court, for the same reason why the party, APC, should have screened him out for breaching the Party’s Guidelines for the nominations of candidates for public office. It is said that Fayemi has boasted that he cannot lose any court case as long as President Buhari remains the President of Nigeria.

He is arrogantly dropping and soiling the name of our dear president anyhow and anywhere. Yes, he has won at the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, against every legal tide and the preponderance of very strong legal arguments, facts and decided cases in Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

As the Yoruba word of elders say: “Aje ke lano, omo ku leni, tani ko mo wipe aje ana lo pa omo je.” A witch cried yesterday, a child died today, who will not know that it was the witch of yesterday that killed the child today.  Like the soothsayer told Julius Caesar, we must all beware of the Ides of March or is it the Ides of April now? Unlike Caesar, I hope we will all listen and beware.

No true son or ‘boy’ of Ekiti can have the audacity to cause to be published a judgement of the Supreme Court in the social media, more than two weeks before the date of the judgement. We are better than that. He should be called to explain.

It’s an opportunity to expose this wicked and atrocious plans to mar and malign the reputations of our incorruptible President and the Supreme Court, the highest and most respected court in the land. We cannot and must not allow this judgement, which is the final without appeal turned to Turkey and Chicken with price tags for this year Easter celebrations. Ekiti people, Nigerians and the world as a whole must not allow our rule of law becomes the rule of man.

NB: Muyiwa Adebayo, a Public Affairs Commentator, writes from Ado Ekiti