Ogun: Journalists thrown out of court by tribunal secretary, lawyers over seating arrangement

There was mild drama on Wednesday at the Ogun State governorship election petition tribunal, as a shouting match ensued between journalists and lawyers over seating space.

Trouble started when some lawyers demanded that journalists who were already seated on a bench reserved for pressmen by the court vacate the seat for them, saying it was an extension of the bar.

The court was overcrowded with supporters of both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in their large numbers, leaving journalists no other place to sit.

This was against the directive of the tribunal that only 20 members of each political party be allowed into the court.

Intervening, the secretary of the tribunal, Raymonda Ezenta, angrily asked journalists to vacate the seat reserved for them, saying the court does not need their services.

Ezenta shouted at journalists asking them to leave, insisting that “journalists were not needed at this Tribunal.”

The secretary, while engaging in a confrontation with the journalists, said the tribunal judges have refused to emerge from their chambers for the day’s proceedings because the journalists are yet to vacate the seat.

A similar scenario had played out on Monday and Ezenta told journalists that she would get a bench for them to sit after a set of journalists had an argument with some politicians over a bench.

Since the beginning of the tribunal, members of PDP and APC supporters have continued to claim ownership of benches in court, which they, in most cases, reserve for their coming members.

They have, on several occasions, prevented journalists from sitting, claiming that the seats were meant for the politicians.

To avoid further confrontation between newsmen and politicians, Ezenta had offered to allocate a space for journalists, who have been standing for hours daily to cover the tribunal.

However, the secretary reneged on her promise and the struggle to get a seat continued for journalists at every day tribunal sittings.

On Wednesday, journalists including staff of PREMIUM TIMES and DAILY POST arrived the courtroom some minutes after 8am and the politicians sitting at both APC and PDP wings chorused, pointing to a bench, “that is the seat provided for journalists.”

Barely 40 minutes after reporters were seated on the said bench, two young lawyers came in and wanted to sit on the same bench which could not take more than four persons.

Arguments thereafter ensued as other lawyers insisted that the bench was an extension of the bar.

One of the lawyers approached Ms Ezenta and she immediately approached the journalists saying, “We don’t need you here. Please stand up. My lords are waiting. Stand up.”

Efforts to explain the situation to Ezenta fell on deaf ears as she invited the police to walk the journalists out of the space they already occupied.

As the police officer was trying to make peace, Ms Ezenta returned saying, “It is past 9, my lords just asked now if you guys are still here. Police please do your job. “

The officer, however, appealed to the pressmen and they left the courtroom to hang around.