By Aidoghie Paulinus
WIFE of the president, Aisha Buhari has explained why he sued Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose. Mrs. Buhari who spoke through
her counsel, Mary Ekpere-Eta of Mary Ekpere & Co, Legal Practitioners said she took the decision to let the public know that “nobody is above the law.”
She is suing Fayose for defamation of character. Ekpere-Eta also said that “most importantly,” suing Fayose was to let the public know that “the immunity
clause is inexhaustible. It can be unveiled in certain instances.”
Fayose had on July 8, 2016, through his lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome said
Mrs. Buhari should wait till October 16, 2018, when he would be leaving office
before having recourse to the law, premising his position on the immunity
clause which precludes him from any legal attack.
But Mrs. Buhari disagreed, saying the law also presupposes and presumes that any person holding a position of authority should be responsible.
“And when such a person conducts himself irresponsibly, the clause of immunity maybe unveiled,” she said.
While expressing hope that justice would be done in the case, the president’s wife stated that Fayose ought to be a role model in the society as a governor.
Buhari also said getting justice in the case would have nothing to do with the influence of the first family, noting that the judiciary of Nigeria was doing its best and cannot be influenced by anybody irrespective of the office, but works strictly according to the rule of law. On the confusion between the Jefferson case and the Halliburton scandal, Mrs. Buhari said it was the duty of Fayose to enlighten the public about his facts.
Counsel to the president’s wife had written a letter dated June 22, 2016, to Governor Fayose, demanding a retraction of the governor’s statement that the president’s wife was involved in the Halliburton scandal. She threatened legal action if the retraction wasnot made within five days.
But in the letter dated July 8, 2016, Ozekhome affirmed that the statement made regarding the involvement of Mrs. Buhari in the Halliburton scandal was “correct and justified in law, having regards to a court judgment convicting one Mr William Jefferson for bribery in the Halliburton case.”