A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Nigeria, on Friday discharged an ex-Senator and former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, over examination malpractices charges.
The presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo made the order following an amendment of the charges which saw Adeleke’s name dropped as a defendant in the case.
The prosecuting counsel, Simon Lough, had told Justice Ekwo on Thursday that the prosecution decided to drop Adeleke’s name in the case due to his continued absence from the court which continued to stall the trial.
Adeleke had not attended court since he was granted permission by the court on May 6, 2019, to travel to the United States of America on health grounds.
The court had ordered him to return to the country by June 7, 2019.
Following the amendment of the charges on Thursday, Adeleke’s name was dropped from the case with the remaining defendants re-arraigned on Friday.
The defendants who all pleaded not guilty to the charges on Friday are Sikiru Adeleke, the principal of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, Alhaji Aregbesola Muftau; the registrar of the school, Gbadamosi Ojo; and a teacher in the school, Dare Samuel Olutope.
The defence counsel, Dr. Alex Izinyon SAN, did not oppose the application for the amendment of the charges when the prosecution announced the discontinuation of the case against Adeleke on Friday.
The senior lawyer, however, urged the judge to make a consequential order of discharging and acquitting the ex-governorship candidate.
It is not clear whether the ex-Senator will be re-arraigned separately whenever he returns to Nigeria to continue with the trial.