The family of hotelier Rahman Adedoyin has distanced itself from the crisis among Osun State Chief Judge Adepele Ojo, judicial workers and the state government.
A statement signed by the spokesman of Adedoyin Conglomerate Kunle Awojoodu said the family had nothing to do with the rift.
In May, Osun State High Court sentenced Adedoyin, owner of Hilton Hotel in Ile-Ife, to death by hanging for the murder of a postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Timothy Adegoke. One month later, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke was accused of planning to pardon him, but he denied the allegation.
Addressing claims that the rift between Adeleke and the chief judge was because of Adedoyin, the family said in a statement obtained on Friday: “Attention of the family of Dr Rahman Adedoyin has been drawn to various write-ups in various media: social and print by some faceless people trying to drag Dr Adedoyin into the face-off between the Chief Judge of Osun, Hon Justice O.A. Ojo, and the Osun State Government as well as the Osun Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria.
“It is highly disheartening that some elements within the society could, simply, for selfish and face-saving reasons, descend so low to the abyss of pedestrianism alleging that it is because of Dr Adedoyin’s case that Governor Adeleke of Osun State is pitched against the CJ and, at the same time, being called to account by the Osun State lawmakers, when the allegations laid against the CJ before the Osun State House of Assembly contain nothing as such.
“It indubitably smacks of unwarranted malice and sheer hypocrisy that anyone could level this type of mischievous allegation against Dr Adedoyin, (a renowned educationist, a business mogul and one of the major employers of labour in Osun State) who has never been a politician, has no nexus with politics or sought any political contract whatsoever, in their attempt to curry undue public advantage/sympathy or circumvent unavertable responsibilities.
“We, as the family, believe in the rule of law and due process of the law and has never, at any point in time, approached any individual, group of persons, traditional rulers, politicians or anyone at all to subvert the cause of justice. We strongly believe that the impartial court would eventually do justice in the case.
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“Unfortunately, our hope was dashed when our patriarch, Dr Ramon Adedoyin was convicted and hurriedly condemned in spite of absence or non-existent of an iota of evidence linking him either to the hurriedly and belatedly added charge of murder or any of the earlier charges whatsoever.
“As law-abiding citizens, we decided to choose the path of legality and constitutionality by seeking true justice at the appellate Court.
“It is therefore illegal, immoral, and unconstitutional for anyone to link the current imbroglio vis a vis the State Government, the protesting staff of the State Judiciary and the embattled CJ, Hon Justice Ojo Adepele to a case that is still pending at appeal, in order to score cheap political points or personal propaganda.
“Dr Adedoyin does not know and has never met the Governor of Osun State. Nevertheless, for our family decorum and maturity, we reserve our comments on the demands of one Aliyu and a Yoruba Monarch about Justice Adepele Ojo’s circumstantial evidence by which she hurriedly pronounced the guilt of Dr.Adedoyin without required pieces of evidence.
“Without mincing words, the family strongly dissociates itself from unfounded rumours being peddled and negatively marketed, as usual, to this horrible effect.”
