By Njoku Chijioke
The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, has inaugurated two Local Government Election Appeal Tribunal panels to handle appeals from the forthcoming council elections.
The panels were inaugurated on Friday at the Ikeja High Court Conference Room.
The Lagos Island panel is chaired by Justice Taofikat Oyinkan-Abdullahi (Rtd), with Magistrates Michael Olubi, Olaitan Ajayi, Salamah Matepo, and Hotepo Lazarus as members.
Justice Sherifah Solebo (Rtd), heads the Ikeja panel, joined by Magistrates Davies Rasak, Oluwatosin Fowowe-Erusiafe, Adepeju Odusanya, and Lynda Balogun.
Justice Alogba charged the members to discharge their responsibilities with integrity, fairness, and strict adherence to the law.
He stressed the importance of respecting statutory timelines in election matters, warning that judgments outside the legal timeframe would be null and void.
“You must work strictly within the law. Your experience and integrity earned you this appointment,” he said, urging them to resist pressure, bias, or intimidation.
Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), described the assignment as both a legal and moral duty to defend democracy and ensure the credibility of the electoral process.
The panels are expected to commence hearings immediately after the local government elections, providing a forum for aggrieved parties to seek redress and ensuring that electoral justice is upheld.
The inauguration reaffirms the Lagos judiciary’s commitment to the rule of law and the protection of democratic institutions.
