Author: Tunde Akingbondere

Introduction The recent Supreme Court judgment in SUNDAY JACKSON V. STATE (SC/CR/1026/2022), delivered on the 7th of March, 2025, has sparked widespread legal and moral outrage across Nigeria. In affirming the death sentence handed down by the trial court, the apex court failed to deliver substantial justice in a case marked by procedural breaches, rigid legalism, and a troubling disregard for the fundamental right of self-defence. This essay critically examines the judgment, arguing that it is unjust, perverse, unscholarly, and wholly unjustified in both reasoning and outcome. In a nation where the winds of uncertainty often shake the pillars of…

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Osun State has debunked news flying about town that the defection of the incumbent governor of the state, Ademola Adeleke, is eminently welcomed.  Denying the rumour during a press conference in Osogbo on Wednesday, the immediate past Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Timothy Owoeye, stated that the governorship ticket of the APC is not for sale to the Adeleke family. Owoeye also disclosed that the party does not see Governor Ademola Adeleke as part of the Osun APC family. He said, “APC ticket is not for sale for…

Mr. Samuel Ola Ogunyimika, a son to the late political juggernaut and Awolowo’s protege, Hon. Samuel Ebun Ogunyimika, has penned a message reflecting on the personality of his dad some 33 years after his demise. In a poetic statement titled, “33 Years of Your Demise Dad,” Ogunyimika spoke eloquently to his dad’s eternal presence in the lives of his children irrespective of his demise. He described him as a man of unparalleled integrity who will surely do the right thing however unpopular or hard. An excerpt from the statement reads: “In the tapestry of life, your presence remains a vibrant…

A lawyer, Lade Ebiwanno Esq., has criticized the forced resignation of Hon. Abayomi Akinruntan, arguing that there is no formal power-sharing agreement that justifies stripping Akinruntan of his position and transferring it to another honorable member from his Senatorial District. In a eulogy and pointed critique of the governor, titled Prince Abayomi Babatunde Akinruntan: A Man Who Demonstrates Courage Without Fleeting Moments of Cowardice, he stated: “Governor Ayedatiwa may influence the removal of Prince Abayomi Babatunde Akinruntan as Deputy Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, but he lacks the authority to terminate or invalidate Akinruntan’s election. Prince Akinruntan…

Fresh facts which just emerged over the abominable attack and humiliation of Oba Odidiomo Afolabi Oladimeji, the Olu of Igbokoda, by a Community leader in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State during the flag-off ceremony of the 27.5km Igbokoda-Okitipupa dualisation project on Monday says as the host and a respected traditional ruler, the monarch was subjected to an unprovoked attack by the community leader who refused to vacate a front-row seat reserved for traditional rulers. The monarch revealed how he arrived at the ceremony and politely requests the community leader to move to a different seat, allowing the traditional…

A violent confrontation erupted on Monday involving Oba Odidiomo Afolabi Oladimeji, the Olu of Igbokoda, and an unidentified community leader during the flag-off ceremony for the 27.5km Igbokoda–Okitipupa road dualization, officiated by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa. According to eyewitnesses, the dispute began when Oba Afolabi requested that a man seated beside another traditional ruler stand in his honor. The man, reportedly a relative of an high profile government official rumoured to be the governor, refused, prompting the monarch to strike him with his staff. This led to a severe brawl, during which the monarch sustained a serious injury—his ear was bitten…

The Deputy Speaker of the Ondo state House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Abayomi Akinruntan, from Ilaje constituency 1, has resigned his position as the Deputy Speaker. He disclosed his intent to resign his position owing to the recent political power sharing mechanism and arrangement in the State. According to a statement published on his social media platforms on 3rd June, 2025, detailing his resignation, Akinruntan said: “It’s with gratitude and humility that I announce my resignation as Deputy Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, effective today.” “After due consultation and careful consideration, I have decided to step down…

Prominent figures within the All Progressives Congress (APC) have reacted with mixed feelings over automatic tickets for the party’s National Assembly members ahead of the 2027 general election. It was learnt that some APC governors revolted against the automatic ticket plan and may have been scheming to kill the arrangement at its earliest stage. A governor from the South East and his counterpart from the South West are said to be leading the park geared towards stopping automatic tickets for National Assembly members in their states. The governors might discuss the issue with the APC national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, in…

The Ondo State Police Command has apprehended Doracas Asije, the mother of a West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) candidate, along with four accomplices, for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a Vice Principal, Mr Rotifa. The incident had sparked widespread concern and outrage in the community. Available report says the attack was allegedly triggered by a dispute between the Vice-Principal and the students over examination malpractice at the school premises in the Akure North Local Government Area. Mrs Asije reportedly hired thugs to assault Mr Rotifa, Vice Principal of Complete Child Development College, located in Aule, Akure North Local…

INTRODUCTION The dramatic on/off attempt to recall the Senator representing Kogi central Senatorial District in the National Assembly has focused public attention on that hitherto obscure and seldom used process. While the public has been regaled (if not quite transfixed) with the apparently determined and desperate attempt by her supposed constituents to recall her (and her equally robust push-back), the body at the centre of it all – the electoral umpire – has been no less up-to-the-job with its prompt assessments and verdicts (so far, in her favour). INEC roundly rejected the recall process on the ground that it has…