Olanipekun denies claim of taking Eleka’s brief

‘Ogunbiyi’s philanthropic disposition will turn Osun around’

A former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun, OFR, SAN has debunked reports that he has taken the brief to represent the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, in the just concluded gubernatorial election in Ekiti State.

Olusola lost the election to the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi. A statement signed by his personal assistant, Mr. Debo Oladinni, affirmed that Olanipekun has not been briefed by any candidate or political party to represent him or the political party.

He said: “My Principal, Chief Wole Olanipekun, OFR, SAN, LL.D, in respect of the drama, propaganda and conjectures making rounds in Ekiti, and being sponsored by a group or some groups of people. It is not the style of either my principal or that of Wole Olanipekun & Co. to announce in advance that he is going to appear for any party in court, even when he has not been briefed. And in this particularly instance, nobody or party has briefed either my principal or Wole Olanipekun & Co. to appear for him, either as petitioner or respondent.

“This story, which you described as ‘making rounds’, as well as others, fabricated before, during and after the election, are not merely figments of the imaginations of the peddlers, but also created to malign and denigrate the reputation of my principal and other leading figures and lights in Ekiti and Nigeria, including the highly respected Aare Afe Babalola, CON, SAN, LL.D, who the hack-writers had earlier alleged was working and meeting together with my principal to appear for an imaginary petitioner.”

He added that Olanipekun has not said or uttered a word, either in terms of press interview or statement on Ekiti poll, before, during or after the election, apart from his contribution during the press conference addressed by Igbimo Ure Ekiti on Sunday, 8th July 2018.

Meanwhile, Osun State frontline governorship hopeful on the platforn of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi has been described as ‘a grassroots man with outstanding philanthropic pedigree, which has positively touched many lives across the globe.
 
The Victory Group, in a statement jointly signed by the chairman of the group, Olasupo Wale and its general secretary, Oluwagbemi Yinka, observed that if Ogunbiyi is given the mandate, would bring to bear his milk of human kindness to the people. He recently donated two 18-seater buses to the PDP state secretariat where he also presented 14,000 bags of 5kg rice to party members for Sallah celebration, among other donations.

The group stated that “it is a wide knowledge that Dr. Ogunbiyi has not been fingered in fraudulently holding any political or elective office,” adding that Osun also needs a risk manager that can lead the state out of its huge debts.