Perjury: Court Orders Arrest of Former Ekiti PDP Secretary

A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, presided over by Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye, on Wednesday, ordered the Ekiti State Police Commissioner to arrest the former State Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Temitope Aluko, over alleged perjury. The directive came, sequel to a Motion Ex-parte initiated by the state government against Aluko. The motion designated MAD/10cm/2016, was filed pursuant to Section 117 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C16, Law of Ekiti State 2012, Section 79 of the Ekiti State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2014 and Section 23 (D) of the Magistrates’ Courts Law 2014. According to the motion, the state through its State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Gbemiga Adaramola, asked the court to issue a warrant for the arrest of Aluko, for the purpose of committing him (Aluko) for trial for the offence of perjury. The court explained that the prayer was acceded to so that Aluko can proceedings for his defence. It would be recalled that a lawyer, Sunday Olowolafe, had in an application to the state’s Attorney-General (AG), requested for the prosecution of Aluko for alleged perjury. Olowolafe said, “I hereby apply to your office that Dr Temitope Kolawole Aluko be arrested and sued for perjury in view of the interview recently granted on Channels Television by ”ª8:00pm on Sunday 31 January, 2016. “The said Dr Temitope Kolawole Aluko now recanted the evidence he gave in the cause of the hearing of the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition as a star witness even up to the Supreme Court. “The Certified True Copy of the Statement on Oath, evidence of Dr Temitope Kolawole Aluko in Court on the 12/11/14 and Nigerian Tribune and The Punch newspapers of Monday, 01/02/2016 that reported the interview granted are hereto attached. “It is to be noted that if this act (Perjury) is not looked into, it will definitely defile the cause of justice and consequently rubbish the judicial proceedings.” The Special Assistant to the State Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, stated in an affidavit filed in support of the motion ex-parte, that Aluko, who was a witness before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, swore to a Statement on Oath on August 4, 2014 wherein he (Aluko) stated that the Election was not only free and fair, but devoid of violence, thuggery, hooliganism, snatching of ballot boxes, and related forms of electoral disorderliness. The governor’s media aid further stated that Aluko tendered and adopted his Statement on Oath on November 12, 2014 and further gave evidence under cross examination. Olayinka also said the statements made by Aluko on Channels Television on January 31, 2016, were contrary to his evidence before the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.