#EkitiGate: Court Orders Arrest Of Ex-PDP Secretary, Aluko Over Alleged Perjury

A Magistrate Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has directed that the former State Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti state, Temitope Aluko be arrested with immediate effect with respect to allegation on Perjury.

Court paper on Temitope Aluko’s arrest: Vanguard

The Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye, gave the instruction to the state commissioner of police on Wednesday, February 3, after considering an Ex-parte motion instituted by the Ekiti State Government against Aluko based on Section 117 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C16, law of Ekiti State 2012, Section 79 of the Ekiti State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2014 and Section 23 (D) of the Magistrates’ Courts Law 2014.

The Motion was filed by the State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr Gbemiga Adaramola.

According to the motion, an order of the court was sought to issue warrant of arrest against Aluko to be executed by the state commissioner of Police for the purpose of committing him (Aluko) for trial for the offence of perjury.

The matter was premised upon an application to the state Attorney General by a lawyer, Mr Sunday Olowolafe, calling for the prosecution of Mr Aluko for alleged perjury.

He said: “I hereby apply to your office that Dr Temitope Kolawole Aluko be arrested and sued for perjury in view of the interview recently granted on Channels Television by 8:00pm on Sunday 31 January, 2016.

“The said Dr Temitope Kolawole Aluko now recanted the evidence he gave in the cause of the hearing of the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition as a star witness even up to the Supreme Court. The Certified True Copy of the State on Oath, evidence of Dr. Temitope Kolawole Aluko in Court on the 12/11/14 and Nigerian Tribune and The Punch newspapers of Monday, 01/02/2016 that reported the interview granted are hereto attached.

“It is to be noted that if this act (Perjury) is not looked into, it will definitely defile the cause of justice and consequently rubbish the judicial proceedings.”

Mr Aluko is being sued for the recent interview he granted Channels Television on Sunday, January 31, 2016.

Aluko, who earlier testified before the election tribunal that the June 21, 2014 governorship election in Ekiti was free and fair, told journalists on Sunday that the PDP rigged the election.

He said former President Goodluck Jonathan released $37 million to Ayo Fayose, governor of the state, and summoned top security chiefs to Aso Rock to strategise on how to deliver the state into their hands.