‘Allegations Are Not Evidence In Accountability Matters’: Threat To Judicial Independence And The Targeting Of Edo South
The Oasis Reporters
June 12, 2026
By Dr. Pedro Obaseki
Recent events in Edo State have forced many of us from Edo South Senatorial District to speak out.
What began as attacks on the Chief Judge of Edo State, Hon. Justice Daniel Okungbowa, now appears part of a broader pattern many citizens see as the targeting of Edo South interests and office holders. Whether intentional or not, this perception is growing and raising serious concerns about fairness, inclusion, and constitutional governance.
The controversy surrounding Justice Okungbowa highlights the issue.
The Chief Judge has faced criticism over judicial appointments and the reconstitution of judicial institutions. Yet the facts point not to bias but to adherence to due process.
Judicial appointments follow constitutional procedures involving the Judicial Service Commission and the National Judicial Council before executive action can take effect. These safeguards exist to protect the Judiciary from political interference.
If a Chief Judge insists on compliance, that is fidelity to the rule of law, not obstruction.
The rule of law cannot be applied selectively. The Judiciary is a co-equal arm of government, and its independence is essential to democracy.
The attacks have also extended to allegations that ₦6 billion belonging to the Edo State Judiciary was diverted. The facts say otherwise.
The ₦6 billion cited was neither appropriated nor released to the Judiciary. It was merely a proposed budgetary requirement. Reports indicate the House of Assembly approved only about ₦300 million. The distinction matters.
Funds that were never appropriated or disbursed cannot be diverted by an institution that never received them. How can the Judiciary be accused of misappropriating money it never controlled? Accountability matters, but allegations are not evidence. Political narratives must not replace facts.
For many in Edo South, these developments cannot be viewed in isolation.
In recent years, several prominent Edo South figures have been removed from office, publicly discredited, politically isolated, or drawn into controversies many consider selective and disproportionate. Each case may differ. Yet when similar outcomes repeatedly affect people from the same district, questions arise. Those questions deserve answers.
Edo South is not demanding special treatment. It is demanding fair treatment.
As the state’s largest voting bloc, economic hub, and home to oil-producing communities that contribute significantly to state revenues, Edo South occupies a central place in Edo State. These realities do not make Edo South superior. They make exclusion or targeting unacceptable.
The controversy surrounding Justice Okungbowa is therefore bigger than one individual.
It is about judicial independence, due process, and whether facts or propaganda will shape public judgment.
The way forward is clear. The perception of targeting and marginalization of Edo South must be confronted, not dismissed.
Let allegations be investigated transparently. Let evidence—not politics—determine outcomes. Let judicial appointments follow constitutional procedures. Let the Judiciary remain independent and free from intimidation.
Edo South is the state’s most populous district and principal economic lifeline. Its concerns cannot be ignored, and its people will not remain silent in the face of what many see as a sustained pattern of exclusion.
The message is simple: stop the targeting of Edo South. Restore confidence through fairness. Uphold constitutional governance. Respect judicial independence. Treat every district equally under the law. Edo State belongs equally to Edo South, Edo Central, and Edo North. No district should be targeted. No institution should be intimidated. No judicial officer should be condemned without evidence.
Those in power must understand that the people of Edo South will continue to demand fairness, defend their institutions, and insist on their rightful place in the political and economic life of the state.
Written by Pedro Obaseki, MBA, PhD. , the Convener of the Edo People’s Assembly & President-General of the Midwest Peoples Movement.
