Ahead of the September 24, 2024 local government elections in Kwara State, the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Abiodun Adebara, on Thursday, swore in two sets of local government election petition tribunals.
The election petition tribunals have three members each with separate chairmen.
Members of the election petitions tribunals are Jibril Salihu, Muhammed Aluko, Adeniyi Moses, Abubakar Ndakene, Adebola Feyisayo and AbdulHamid Yusuf.
At the swearing-in ceremony, the Chief Judge charged the panel members to deal with election cases speedily, saying that
election petitions are by their nature peculiar from the point of view of public policy.
“It is a requirement of the rule of law and part of the mechanism of the democratic process that after any election, there should be an election tribunal to ventilate and determine disputes that may arise from such an election. The
institution of an election tribunal has always helped to assuage anxieties and calm frayed nerves,” the CJ said.
The Chief Judge also said that he and the state’s Grand Kadi were satisfied that the officers of the state judiciary that were selected to serve on the tribunals are people of proven integrity and competence.
“I am, therefore, confident that they will discharge their onerous responsibility without fear or favour, affection or ill-will,” he said.
Adebara announced that an Election Registry has already been established in the High Court Complex in Ilorin, the state capital.
Responding on behalf of other members of the Tribunals, Chief Magistrate Jibril Salihu expressed gratitude and appreciation to the state judiciary and both the Chief Judge and the Grand Khadi, on their selection, pledging that they would justify the confidence reposed in them.