Edo: Akpata Asks Obaseki To Swear In Remaining Three Judges

A former president of the Nigerian Bar Association and governorship candidate of the Labour Party for the September 21 Edo Governorship Election, Olumide Akpata, is again calling on the governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, to swear in the remaining three judges recommended by the National Judicial Council for the state judiciary.

Akpata made the call in a forum for legal professionals in Benin City, the Edo state capital on Tuesday.

“Ordinarily one would consider him to be a democrat, ordinarily one would consider him to be a respecter of the rule of law and I have spoken to this issue on several occasions,” he said.

The LP governorship candidate alleged that Obaseki selectively swore in only five out of the eight recommended judges, about one year after the recommendation was made.

“Particularly because I sat as a member of the NJC when this issue arose, and being from Edo State myself, I was right at the centre of it. The governor has no excuse for the present state of affairs, and I will call again that he does the right thing.

“I will call on his Attorney General, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi to also speak again to the governor because I assume he has done so before, to get him to swear in these three judges. People’s lives are really at issue here, people’s professional careers are at issue here.

“I always hesitate to speak to this issue because I’m running for governor of Edo State and every time I speak to the issue, one is accused of playing politics but I don’t care because I am a lawyer of 31 years, I am a former president of the bar, I am a senior member of the bar.

“This situation is unacceptable and Governor Godwin Obaseki must correct it. I look forward to him announcing a date for the swearing-in of those three judges.”