Efio-Ita Nyok|8 June 2016|8:18am
On 6 June 2016 around 11am, media aides including Emmanuel Ulayi, Solomon Asha, Ntebri Egbelo Edward, etc to the Governor of Cross River State, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade, were seen to break a news report which centered on the Ayade Vs Agi suit presently entertaining considerations at Nigeria's apex court, the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
These media aides were understood to be reporting one Alhaji Musa Abdullahi from the court room of the Supreme Court. This is what Abdullahi reported about the Ayade Vs Agi case on 6 June:
'Breaking News, In what appears like the beginning of the end of road for Barr. Joe Odey Agi SAN, the Supreme Court of Nigeria this morning struck out two motions filed by Joe Agi for lacking in common sense as the motions were merely speculative, baseless and unmeritorious.
The lead counsel to Joe Agi afterwards apologized and withdrew the motions stating that it has been overtaken by events.
The Supreme Court however found merit in the motion filed by counsels to the Governor, Prof. Ben. Ayade and after taking the introduction of the motion by the lead counsel to the Governor, Chief Whole Olanipkekun SAN who was accompanied by Mr Paul Erokoro SAN.
The motion of the Governor through his counsel centres purely on jurisdiction of the supreme Court.
The supreme Court in giving credence to it have agreed to take the motion on the 23rd day of January 2017.
While the team of the Governor were seeing smiling out of court, the very learned Senior Advocate, Barr. Joe Agi was wearing a mournful face.
Until the adjourned date in January next year, Joe Agi and his propaganda machinery will have to keep mute and contrive a new story line'.
However, recent revelations from Cross River whistle blower, Ifere Paul, outrightly contradicts the position peddled by Ayade's media aides. The reader will be expected to, after carefully reading Paul's and Gov Ayade's media aides position, decipher the truth about the Ayade Vs Agi case. Below is the position by Ifere Paul:
Joe Agi (SAN) vs Ben Ayade: The True State Of The Matter.
By Ifere Paul
Following online and offline jubilation in Cross River State by Governor Ben Ayade supporters, I was forced to approach a lawyer who was in the Supreme Court yesterday, the 6th of June, 2016.
After a careful analysis of the situation and the happening in the courtroom in the case of Joe Agi (SAN) vs Ben Ayade, the following reasonings can be deduced.
1. The Supreme Court of Nigeria did not strike out any prayers by Joe Agi as were contained in his petition before the court.
2. The lead counsel of Joe Agi did not apologize to the court for any reason from every of the arguments that took place in court on the 6th of June, 2016.
3. The Supreme Court found no merit whatsoever in any motion filed by Ben Ayade lead counsel. In fact, the was no filing of motions from the Ben Ayade team, but that they were in court to response to the motion of Joe Agi (SAN) for the court to proceed to hear the case without the briefs of the defendant which in this case is Ben Ayade, and hence submited their briefs after the expiration of 80 days grace given to them.
4. The assertion that “the motion of the governor through his lead counsel centres purely on jurisdiction of the Supreme Court” is a big fat lie by delusional followers of the governor.
5. The facts and true story is that Joe Agi (SAN), after submitting his brief, filed a motion on the 31th of March, 2016 for the court to agree on a time for Ben Ayade counsels to file their briefs too. But unfortunately, the court did not give a date until yesterday, the 6th of June, 2016. It should be noted that the stipulated time of 8 week for Ayade to submit his brief expired by law on the 28th of May, 2016.
6. On the 3rd of June, 2016, Ben Ayade counsel had not filed their briefs. Joe Agi (SAN), on this note filed a motion for the court to hear his appeal without Ayade's brief.
7. Ben Ayade counsel then rushed to the court to file their brief with a motion for the extensionof time because they are out of time.
8. According to the law, “if there is a motion to kill and there is another motion to reverse, you will withdraw the first one because they have not done what they needed to do.” Therefore, Joe Agi (SAN) had to withdraw the motions earlier submitted to enable Ben Ayade time to file for the extension of time. It is our own motions. "And Joe Agi counsel applied for the withdrawal of the motion" to allow them (Ben Ayade counsel) go on with their motion of extension.
9. After the withdrawal of the motions by Joe Agi (SAN), and the subsequent filing of briefs, Joe Agi SAN rejected the motion for extension of time. It was then the court now told both counsels that they will be going on vacation because Joe Agi (SAN) insisted that the case should be heard as both parties have now submitted their briefs.
10. After much pressure, both counsels accepted extension of time. Since the Supreme Court will be gone for gone til September, the case was adjourned to January 27th, 2017.
11. It is pertinent to note that the case may come up any day after the Supreme Court resumes its recess. Not necessarily on til January 27th, 2017.
12. It is pertinent to note here that Joe Agi (SAN) appeal at the Supreme Court is Pre-election matter. He is accusing Governor Ben Ayade among other things, the falsification of three varying birth dates on oath at various instances, not paying membership subscription for over 4 years until the day of the primaries of the PDP.
13. Joe Agi (SAN) is praying that the Supreme Court declare him the Governor of Cross River State. A feat many people think is impossible'.
It's left for the reader to tell the truth. Between Paul and Gov Ayade's aides, who is attempting to rewrite history? On my part, who is reporter Alhaji Musa Abdullahi? Is he a mythical figure created by Ayade's media aides? Which Supreme Court was he reporting from and which Ayade Vs Agi case was he reporting? I have asked virtually all the media aides to respond to Paul's revelations but there have not been a tangible response until now.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroidhaven.org (Negroid Haven)