The defamation suit between the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Professor Abayomi Sunday Fasina, and the institution’s former ASUU Chairman, Dr. Akinyemi Gabriel Omonijo, could not progress substantially before the Ekiti State High Court, Ado-Ekiti, on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, due to the unreadiness of the claimant’s counsel, Mr. Tiamiyu Adegboyega.

The case with suit No: HAD/143/2023 instituted by Prof. Fasina against Dr. Omonijo on the allegation that Prof. Fasina collected double salaries at two different universities at the same time, came up before Honourable Adeniyi O. Familoni of Court 8, Ekiti State High Court, Ado-Ekiti.

During the proceedings, Mr. Tiamiyu Adegboyega, who appeared for the claimant, told the court that he was not ready for the matter because he forgot that the matter was scheduled for that day. The counsel, Hon. ’Bayo Idowu, and his colleague Segun Odofin Esq. representing the defendant and counter-claimant, did not object to the statement of the claimant’s counsel.

However, the defendant and counter-claimant’s counsel said that inasmuch as he appreciated his learned colleague’s predicament and the courtesy of appearing in the court on the matter despite his unreadiness, the court might recall that the matter had been delayed for a very long time due to inability of the claimant to proceed with the suit. He told the court that the matter deserves to proceed without delay.

In the response of His Lordship, he said he was not in support of unnecessary delay and prolonging matters in the court. He therefore gave advice to both parties to agree on more than one day consecutively in the next adjournment date because the matter is doubled due to counter-claim. The judge went further to say that a cost would be made awesomely against any parties that defaulted and he equally told the claimant’s counsel to bring his witness(s) to the court on the next adjournment date.

After hearing the submissions of both parties, the case was adjourned to July 15 and 16, 2025, for continuation of hearing, setting the stage for a potentially intense legal battle between the parties involved.