By Olayemi Festus Oke
First, Mr Segun Sowumi, a former gubernatorial aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, should be held responsible for the short-lived commotion that took place outside the Isabo High Court-venue of the Ogun State Election Petition Tribunal, which held its first sitting on Monday.
He had no regard for the tribunal and law enforcement agents, as he insisted he must access the court premises well after the tribunal had started sitting. Of course, other law-abiding All Progressives’ Congress, APC and PDP supporters present resisted his insensitive display of arrogance, self-importance, over-bloated ego, and disorderly conduct.
Matters came to a head when some aggrieved PDP supporters started abusing and cursing him for allegedly partly causing the PDP’s loss in the last governorship election in the state. They were more vociferous in insisting that he must leave the court premises. They were heard angrily asking in the Yoruba language: “Ki ni oloshi ati odale yi wa se ni bi?” – “What has this stupid man and traitor come to do here?” They did not want him around and he was chased out.
It is evident that from all indications, Sowunmi came with a mission to cause commotion and disrupt the proceedings of the election petition tribunal, but sadly, he met resistance from the more civilized supporters of both the APC and the PDP.
He is clever by half by playing the victim and dubiously using the scene he deliberately created to castigate the APC-led government of Prince Dapo Abiodun.
Sowunmi had the opportunity to come to the court earlier if indeed he wanted to watch the proceedings of the tribunal. He met a peaceful atmosphere at the court on arrival, which he destabilized so much with noise that the tribunal had to send words across to warn everyone outside the courtroom to be of good conduct.
It is also instructive to note that there was also peace after Sowunmi, the troublemaker, was shamed, and he left the court hurriedly with his thugs, with his tail behind his limbs. No other PDP member was affected. Even the CSO to the PDP candidate in the March 18 election, Ladi Adebutu, a retired senior police officer, was in court throughout the day’s sitting of the tribunal. He was seen exchanging pleasantries and banters around. He was neither harassed nor hounded due to his civilized comportment.
More instructively, the tribunal rounded off the day’s sitting on a very peaceful note, despite Sowunmi’s failed attempt to disrupt proceedings.
Without gainsaying, the police should call Sowunmi to order, and further cause him to sign an undertaking to maintain good conduct any time he comes to the venue of the tribunal. The police should also warn all troublemakers to stay away from the venue, and that nobody, including the “imperial and imperious” Sowunmis of this world would be indulged to wait until the tribunal has started sitting before trying to force their way in. The false sense of the importance of such persons will be badly bruised. They should be reminded that the commotion ensuing from an attempt by anyone to force himself into the courtroom after the commencement of the proceedings of the tribunal amounts to disorderly conduct and contempt outside the tribunal for which the person or persons concerned could be charged, prosecuted, and jailed.
The questions are:
How come notable PDP chieftains were in court, attended proceedings and left without incident? How come it was only Segun Sowunmi, who is totally inconsequential in the scheme of things in Ogun politics that was now purportedly attacked? Where are his supposed followers that were injured?
The truth is that Sowunmi came to outside the court premises to foment trouble and cry wolf, whereas there was absolute peace until he got there and this was obviously the script he planned to act out.
The truth remain that his party lost the elections, and it will lose at the tribunal.
What does anyone stand to gain by attacking Sowunmi?
What electoral value does he possess, except for blabbing like an empty barrel.
The police must investigate this incident and unravel the mystery and circumstances surrounding Sowunmi’s grandstanding.
Everyone knows that Dapo Abiodun is synonymous with peace, even at the height of extreme provocation.
•Oke writes from Abeokuta, Ogun State.
