Ajibola Oluyede: annoyed Umar

Chief Kanu Agabi, the lead lawyer for Senator Bukola Saraki has apologised over the conduct of Ajibola Oluyede, a senior advocate of Nigeria,  at the Code of Conduct Tribunal today.

Agabi,  was not in court when there was an exchange of words between the Tribunal Chairman, Danladi Umar  and Oluyede on Thursday morning.

On arrival, Agabi interrupted proceedings to apologise for Oluyede’s behaviour.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria told Mr Umar that Oluyede was a member of his team and was announced among the defence counsels yesterday. He also urged the Tribunal Chairman not to judge the lawyer by his weakness.

“Don’t be angry. If other people annoy you, would you send them to prison?,”. Agabi queried.

“In this case, I would have done that,” Mr Umar reaffirmed.

Agabi however appealed to  him not to be annoyed with the lawyer.

But for the intervention of other lawyers in court,  Umar  would have sent Oluyede to prison.

The exchange of words was over an application filed by the lawyer.

Oluyede had in the application  asked Mr. Umar to disqualify himself from hearing the suit against Saraki over allegations that he is also being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC which is also leading the prosecution of the Senate President.

The exchange of words had degenerated into arguments during which Mr. Umar threatened to send the lawyer to prison for contempt.

“The point I was making was that when that application was filed, he filed at a time he was not appearing and this is an issue tried at High Court and he brought it here”, Umar said.

“I have said I will not listen to that motion. I would have sent him to prison for contempt in the face of the court. He was arguing with me. I would have sent him to prison. He would have been cooling his feet there now. Maybe from there, he will be taken to another place. It was because other colleagues begged for  him that I allowed him to be sitting there now,” Mr Umar told Agabi.