AFTER the judges at the Court of Appeal in Ibadan failed at forming a quorum in the motion filed by the former Ogun
State Governor Gbenga Daniels on Thursday, the court adjourned hearing on to October 9.
This was revealed by a clerk of the court who announced at about 10.15am to the seated audience, including Mr. Daniels and his supporters, that the presiding judge was on her way to Lagos State to deliver a verdict in a second case.
The clerk of the court went further to state that two other judges present in the court were unable to form a quorum to enable them carry out any action with regards the former governor’s motion.
Counsel to Daniel, Mr. Taiwo Osipitan, a professor of law, expressed his disappointment, saying that this was the second time that the court would miss a deliberation on Mr. Daniel’s case.
“I understand that the justices of the Court of Appeal are otherwise engaged in some special assignments in Lagos. We are still hopeful that next time, the court will sit,” he said.
“Nevertheless, I am not too happy because I had to leave Lagos with two others to come here.
“If they had told us that they would not be sitting, we would have stayed behind in Lagos and attend to other things and clients.
“However, this is just part of the hazards of the profession,” he said.
Indeed the court could also not deliberate on April 11 as the inability of the judges to form a quorum necessitated an adjournment.
Daniel is seeking to appeal the dismissal of his application to quash some of the charges against him before Justice Olarenwaju Mabekoje of the High Court in Abeokuta.
Mabekoje had earlier ruled that Daniel had a case to answer.
The former governor is facing a trial instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a 38-count charge of financial misappropriation and conversion of state land to personal use.