By Nobet Noah
Plan to remove Osun State Chief Judge, Adepele Ojo, may have hit the rock, as the Judge appeared before a panel put in place by the National Judicial Commission to investigate allegations against her.
Ojo appeared before the panel Thursday and Friday last week in Abuja and successfully defended herself against a petition by a group allegedly working for the state government.
Sources monitoring development around the matter, who confided in our medium said the petitioners had earlier appeared before the panel to make further clarifications on the allegations against Ojo.
It was also learnt that Ojo later appeared separately before the panel where she explained in details her defence against the state-backed group working for some interests hell-bent on removing the CJ.
“But both the petitioners and the person alleged later appeared together before the 5-member panel made up of mainly Chief Judge of State High Courts.
“After about 3 hours of interactions with the panel, it was clear as daylight that the State Government was after the CJ for reasons best known to them.
“The petitioners could not substantiate any of the allegations against Osun CJ. They were thoroughly lambasted by the panel members for wasting the time of the panel.
“Ojo, in her defence, presented loads of documents which clearly exonerated her of any wrongdoing. It got to a point, the panel had to stop her from presenting more documents.
“From all indications, plans to force the Judge out is failing and those agents of state that are after the woman may have to change their strategy because the panel may clear her,” a source in the Judiciary monitoring development around the matter said.
It would be recalled that Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, had attempted to remove Ojo in 2023, but failed as the NJC stood its ground, insisting that the incumbent Head of Osun Courts remains in office until investigations against her had been investigated and decided upon.
