APOSTLE SULEIMAN IN SEX SCANDAL, DUMPS PREGNANT CANADIAN LOVER, GETS HER DETAINED IN LAGOS

APOSTLE SULEIMAN IN SEX SCANDAL, DUMPS PREGNANT CANADIAN LOVER, GETS HER DETAINED IN LAGOS

Auchi-based cleric Apostle Johnson Suleiman is back in the news for the wrong reasons not long after his spat with state agencies for allegedly inciting violence.

The law firm of Lagos-based lawyer, Festus Keyamo has written a letter to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on behalf of one Miss Stephanie Otobo, said to be Apostle Suleiman’s lover, over her arrest on trumped up charges at the behest of Suleiman.

Otobo, described as a musician based in Ontario, Canada, who goes by the stage name of Kimora, was reportedly arrested on March 3 at a United Bank of Africa branch by heavily armed policemen from Federal Criminal Investigations Department (FCID), Alagbon, at the Anthony Village area of Lagos.

The letter also alleged that Otobo had been denied food and access to her lawyers since her arrest.

The controversial cleric and the Canada-based singer were said to have met in 2015 after which they began a relationship when Apostle Suleiman telling her that he had divorced his wife and wanted more male children.

The cleric also allegedly made a marriage proposal to Miss Otobo, which she accepted after which they paid a visit to her family in Delta state.

In a letter dated 3rd March, 2017 by the law firm to demand the sum of N500m from Apostle Suleiman for breaching his promise to marry Miss Otobo, the cleric was reminded of his alleged habit of “licking Miss Otobo’s body from her toes to her private part” any time they wanted to make love.

Apostle Suleiman was similarly accused of having sexual relations with Miss Otobo after his church programmes at a time she also selected his sermon topics.

Miss Otobo’s lawyers also warned Apostle Suleiman to desist from threatening the life of their client who they claimed had naked pictures, raunchy text messages, bank statements, and other implicating items to show as evidence of their relationship.

According to Sahara Reporters, the relationship turned sour when Miss Otobo informed the fiery pastor that she was pregnant in September 2016.

The other pages of the letters to the cleric demanding the sum of N500m for his breach of the promise of marriage and to the IGP demanding the release of Miss Otobo can be seen below:

EDO TRIBUNAL: AS OBASEKI ABANDONED CASE, WHAT CONCLUSION CAN WE DRAW?

EDO TRIBUNAL: AS OBASEKI ABANDONED CASE, WHAT CONCLUSION CAN WE DRAW?

What can one say of the situation whereby the second respondent, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, in the ongoing Edo State Election Petition trial, abandoned the presentation of his witnesses midway? According to his counsel Adetunji Oyeyepo, SAN, they needed to discontinue presenting witnesses who lacked focus. What that implies is that the presentation of evidence by their witnesses was not helping the respondent’s argument. In plain language, the witnesses were not sounding credible.

Counsel to the second respondent seemed to have realized that their presentation of witnesses was a mistake. Even those suspected of being mercenary witnesses fell apart under expert interrogation. The evidence before them appeared impossible to controvert. Some attempts to do this led to graver errors. In frustration, the respondent counsel threw in the towel. They may have realized late that they should have adopted the INEC strategy of not presenting any witness instead of parading persons who made fools of themselves and the respondent.

It is already as clear as daylight that INEC’s compromise of the election is indefensible. The second respondent counsel thought they could do for INEC what INEC found impossible. They ended up in a funny situation when in a bid to act smart, their witnesses descended into scandalous incredulity.

As the fleeing second respondent counsel close their defence on the 6th of March, the Tribunal chairman, Justice Ahmed Badamosi has told the third respondent, APC to begin its 10-days defence the day after. Given that Godwin Obaseki and APC are two sides of a coin, it will be interesting to see what manner of defence the APC will put up. One obvious fact is that the APC witnesses are expected from the same pool from which the Godwin Obaseki drew. So what new performances are we expecting? Basically nothing new.

In that case, for the purpose of saving time, should the APC not close its case immediately after it opens? We just have to wait and see.

So far, the petitioners have been able to prove that INEC violated the Electoral Act by indulging in or aiding acts capable of undermining the integrity of the 2016 Edo State Governorship Election and that the declaration of Mr Godwin Obaseki of the APC was a deliberate error. If we were to go by precedents, the result of the election, as proven so far, is supposed to be cancelled. And if this were to be done, what remedy should be applied?

The petitioners – Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and the PDP have laid before the honourable Tribunal, documented evidences which suggest that minus the discredited votes cast, Osagie Ize-Iyamu ought to be returned winner of the election in question. History supports the petitioners in this noble request. The case of Adams Oshiomhole and Oserheimen Osunbor in the 2007 election dispute is a veritable example.

Ironically, Adams Oshiomhole who was the aggrieved and grand beneficiary of that electoral tussle, is accused of having led the assault this time against free and fair election, and even boasted that the court which gave him relief would not do it for his victim.

However, as the drama in the Tribunal draws to a close, it is left to be seen what the judges have made of the conflicting submissions. I wish to state though that in the court of public opinion, there is no doubt what the verdict should be given the glare of evidence. In Benin, there is a saying that if there is too much waste particles in the soup, a blind man would see it.