urges him to respect Federal High Court order

By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Abiodun Adebara, to immediately disband the Local Government Elections Tribunal, constituted on the 5th of September, 2024.

The PDP, in a statement on Saturday by its Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, added that “apart from the fact that the panel was not properly constituted,
It also violated the existing Federal High Court order halting every action on LG elections.”

The PDP said: “The Chief Judge as the head of judiciary in the state, ought to not involve himself in any behaviour that would put the court into disrepute or perpetuate an act that threatened the sacred power of the court.

“The party notes that Justice Adebara is well aware that ignoring or attempting to subvert a lawful court order constitutes contempt of court, an offense that carries severe legal consequences. Therefore, his involvement in constituting this tribunal, despite being fully aware of Justice Lifu’s ruling, is not only legally questionable but also insensitive to judicial processes.

“It is deeply troubling that the Chief Judge, in empaneling the tribunal, failed to seek adequate and wide consultation from those whose expertise could have properly guided him on the correct composition of the election tribunal under Kwara State law. This oversight has resulted in the appointment of two Chief Magistrates to head the two panels even when Chief Magistrates lack the legal authority to preside over election tribunal

“We direct the Chief Judge’s attention to Article 98 (1, 2, 3, and 4) of the Kwara State Local Government Administration Law, which explicitly states that the Chairman of an election tribunal must be a Judge of the High Court, with members consisting of a Khadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal and three Chief Magistrates.

“The current composition, which appoints two Chief Magistrates as Chairmen and also excluded the presence of Khadi of the Sharia Court are both unlawful and their composition invalid in the face of law. It suffices to note that any action taken by the current tribunal in relation to the Local Government elections will lack legal standing and cannot be recognised.

“To this end, the PDP calls on the Chief Judge to immediately disband this improperly constituted tribunal and await the outcome of the Federal High Court’s decision, as presided over by Justice Lifu before taking further action on Local Elections.

“We advise the judiciary in Kwara State to lead by example, ensuring that all actions are in strict conformity with the law and respect the orders of courts.”