Linking Justice Okoro’s Benin visit to Edo polls appeal baseless — Ubani, SAN

By Henry Ojelu

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Monday Ubani, has refuted reports circulating on social media suggesting that Supreme Court Justice Inyang Okoro visited Benin City to influence an impending appeal in the Edo State governorship election dispute.

Ubani, in a statement on Saturday, described the insinuations as false, mischievous, and a regrettable attempt to smear the integrity of the Supreme Court Justice.

Setting the record straight, Ubani clarified that Justice Okoro was in Benin as a guest of Mr. Hannibal Uwaifo, former President of the African Bar Association, to attend the burial of his late mother, Mrs. Caroline Uwaifo.

“I was directly involved in the planning of the burial and was present at all the ceremonies. Justice Okoro was in attendance at the service of songs on Thursday, June 12, 2025, and the funeral service on Friday, June 13. The only event he did not attend was the reception after the interment,” he stated.

Ubani questioned the logic behind linking the Justice’s personal visit to the yet-to-be-heard appeal at the Supreme Court.
“It is asinine to tie a friend’s mother’s burial to a gubernatorial election appeal. Has the panel for the appeal even been constituted by the Chief Justice of Nigeria?” he queried.

He described the reports as a premeditated smear campaign aimed at preventing Justice Okoro from being part of any possible election panel, suggesting that the motive could be rooted in fear of his impartiality and professional integrity.

“Could this be a preemptive strike by those who dread Justice Okoro’s presence on the panel? Are some people so scared of him that they resort to concocting baseless stories?” Ubani asked.

He further lauded the swift response by the Edo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Samson Osagie, who categorically denied the claims, stating that he did not meet with any judicial officer as alleged in the reports.

Ubani also criticized those behind the story for deliberately ignoring the very public nature of Justice Okoro’s attendance at the burial.

“He did not attend the ceremonies in disguise. His presence was open and known to many,” he said.

Expressing disappointment in fellow legal luminary Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Ubani noted that as a friend of Mr. Uwaifo, Odinkalu should have verified the facts before giving any credence to the rumours.

Ubani cautioned legal professionals against joining what he described as a growing trend of mob vilification of the judiciary.

“This is yet another instance of unwarranted denigration of the judiciary and an unjustified attack on the reputation of a respected Supreme Court Justice,” he said.

He urged restraint, respect for due process, and protection of the judiciary from politically motivated attacks.