There was a drama yesterday before an Abuja High Court, when two
Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) struggled to win the brief of a
factional chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), Governor
Jonah Jang of Plateau State.
Governor Jang briefed Paul Erokoro (SAN) and Tayo Oyetibo (SAN),
separately to defend his faction of NGF in the suit filed by Governor
Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state, urging the court to stop him from
parading himself as the chairman of the forum. Fashola also wants an order of the court restraining Osaro Onaiwu from acting as the forum’s Sole Administrator. Named as defendants include Jang, Asishana Bayo Okauru (forum’s Director General), Onaiwu and the forum’s Registered Trustees.
When the matter came up yesterday, the inability of Paul Erokoro (SAN) and Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) to agree on who should represent Jang and Onaiwu, and similar disagreement between Awa Kalu (SAN) and F. N.
Nwosu on who should represent the Registered Trustees stalled proceedings. When the case was mentioned, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), accompanied by Femi Falana (SAN) announced appearance for the plaintiff. Oyetibo, accompanied by Mathew Burkaa, announced for Jang and Onaiwu. Erokoro also announced for the same parties. While Kalu announced for Okauru and the Registered Trustees of the forum, Nwosu also announced appearance for the Trustees.
The claims by Oyetibo and Erokoro (to be appearing separately for Jang and Onaiwu) and Kalu and Nwosu (to be appearing separately for the Trustees) sparked argument that lasted about 30 minutes, with each lawyer claiming to have been validly instructed. At a point, Osinbajo opposed suggestion that the case be stood down for some time to enable the lawyers sort themselves out. He urged the court to strike out processes filed for Jang and the Trustees because the filing of two different processes for a party amounted to an abuse of court process. “This is the same confusion in the Governors’ Forum,” he noted.
The trial judge, Justice Peter Affen, at that point, advised the lawyers to resolve the disagreement amicably and added that: “We are in the spotlight again, both the Bar and the Bench. “We should not allow acts that will further erode from our credibility. “Let us not be caught by the problem of the Governors’ Forum. They did not resolve their problem amicably, that is why we are here. We should amicably resolve ours,” Justice Affen added.
http://peoplesdailyng.com/ngf-crisis-drama-as-two-sans-fight-to-defend-jang/
When the matter came up yesterday, the inability of Paul Erokoro (SAN) and Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) to agree on who should represent Jang and Onaiwu, and similar disagreement between Awa Kalu (SAN) and F. N.
Nwosu on who should represent the Registered Trustees stalled proceedings. When the case was mentioned, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), accompanied by Femi Falana (SAN) announced appearance for the plaintiff. Oyetibo, accompanied by Mathew Burkaa, announced for Jang and Onaiwu. Erokoro also announced for the same parties. While Kalu announced for Okauru and the Registered Trustees of the forum, Nwosu also announced appearance for the Trustees.
The claims by Oyetibo and Erokoro (to be appearing separately for Jang and Onaiwu) and Kalu and Nwosu (to be appearing separately for the Trustees) sparked argument that lasted about 30 minutes, with each lawyer claiming to have been validly instructed. At a point, Osinbajo opposed suggestion that the case be stood down for some time to enable the lawyers sort themselves out. He urged the court to strike out processes filed for Jang and the Trustees because the filing of two different processes for a party amounted to an abuse of court process. “This is the same confusion in the Governors’ Forum,” he noted.
The trial judge, Justice Peter Affen, at that point, advised the lawyers to resolve the disagreement amicably and added that: “We are in the spotlight again, both the Bar and the Bench. “We should not allow acts that will further erode from our credibility. “Let us not be caught by the problem of the Governors’ Forum. They did not resolve their problem amicably, that is why we are here. We should amicably resolve ours,” Justice Affen added.
http://peoplesdailyng.com/ngf-crisis-drama-as-two-sans-fight-to-defend-jang/
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