By Alex Enumah in Abuja
The Ethics Committee of the Body of Benchers is expected to submit its findings on its investigation of Ondo State Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, over allegations of perjury.
The deputy governor if found culpable risk being derobed as a lawyer by the Body of Benchers.
A civil society group, Ondo State Committee on Ethics and Good Governance, had petitioned the Nigerian Body of Benchers on allegation of perjury against the Deputy Governor.
The group led by Mr Banji Orogbemi had asked the Benchers to withdraw the law degree and practising certificate issued to the embattled deputy governor which qualified him as a lawyer in 2010, on the ground that the Ondo politician lied on oath.
The group in their petition dated May 28, 2019 and received at the Body of Benchers on May 30, 2019, accused Ajayi of being on a full-time employment of the government of Nigeria as a honourable member of the House of Representatives between 2007 and 2011 at the time he was also a full-time student at the Nigerian Law School and his eventual call to the Nigerian Bar in 2010.
Based on the allegation, the Body of Benchers swung into action and referred the petition to its Ethics Committee with a mandate to submit its report Thursday, September 26.
The Deputy Governor who honoured the invitation of the committee was said to have put up his defence, which forms part of the report the committee will be submitting for consideration by the entire Body of Benchers at its plenary Thursday.
Ajayi, if found guilty risks being struck out from the rolls of legal practitioners in Nigeria. He also risks being tried for perjury at the expiration of his tenure as the deputy governor of Ondo State.
