News

Lagos CJ Inaugurates Appeal Tribunals for LG Poll

Published

6 months ago

July 12, 2025

Eric

The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, has inaugurated two LG Election Appeal Tribunals, to oversee complaints arising from the July 12 elections, according to The Punch reports.

Each panel, which will sit simultaneously on Lagos Island and in Ikeja, is made up of four chief magistrates and is chaired by a retired High Court judge.

Justice Taofikat Oyinkan-Abdullahi (Retd.) will lead the Lagos Island Panel, with Magistrates Michael Olubi, Olaitan Ajayi, Salamah Matepo, and Hotepo Lazarus as members.

The Ikeja panel will be chaired by Justice Sherifah Solebo (retd.) and will have Magistrates Davies Rasak, Oluwatosin Fowowe-Erusiafe, Adepeju Odusanya, and Lynda Balogun as members.

Speaking during the inauguration held at the Ikeja High Court Conference Room on Friday, Justice Alogba charged the tribunal members to carry out their responsibilities with “utmost integrity, fairness, and fidelity to the law.”

He reminded them of the importance of working within the time frame stipulated in the 2016 Amendment of the Lagos State Local Government Law, which provides 21 days for filing petitions after the declaration of election results and 45 days for tribunal sittings.

“Any decision or action taken outside the legally prescribed time limit is a nullity and of no legal effect,” the Chief Judge emphasised.

He said, “You must act strictly within the purview of the law. The confidence I have in your character, experience, and sense of judgment informed your appointment. I urge you to uphold justice without fear or favour, and resist all forms of bias or intimidation.”

Justice Alogba stressed the significance of their work to the judiciary’s reputation.

“Lagos State judiciary is well known for its integrity and as a torchbearer in the nation’s judiciary.

“I enjoin you to go out and put in your best so that the results that come out from your decisions will be appreciated by society,” he said. “I am not saying everybody will accept the results. Naturally, somebody will be a loser,” he added.

News

JAMB Announces Jan 26 As Commencement Date for Sale of 2026 Entry Forms

Published

6 minutes ago

January 14, 2026

Eric

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the sales of registration forms for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) admissions for the 2026/2027 academic session.

JAMB stated this in a post on its X handle on Tuesday night.

“UTME is open to suitably qualified candidates for admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions for the 2026/2027 academic session,” the photo statement signed by its Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, read.

“Registration commences January 2026 and closes March 2026 (exact dates to be announced by JAMB),” the post read, disclosing that the UTME examination is scheduled to hold in April 2026.

“The period of registration for UTME candidates, including those from foreign countries, is from Monday, 26th January, 2026 to Saturday, 28th February, 2026,” the statement read in part.`

According to JAMB, candidates must have obtained their National Identification Number (NIN) before registration.

The agency said, “Only candidates who will not be less than 16 years old by 30th September, 2026 are generally eligible to apply/be considered.”

But it clarified that, “Candidates less than 16 years old by 30th September, 2026 will have to undergo an intensive evaluation to determine their eligibility for a waiver. Such must have scored not less than 80% in each of UTME/ALEVEL, PUTME, SSCE, and in the exceptional candidate assessment.”

“The UTME results of the underage candidates will be released only at the conclusion of the complete evaluation process,” JAMB said.

For Direct Entry candidates, the “Sale of 2026 Direct Entry (DE) application documents and E-PIN vending would commence from Monday, 2nd March, 2026, and end by Saturday, 25th April, 2026, and would only be at the Board’s State and Zonal Offices.”

“The 2026 UTME will commence on Thursday, 16th April, 2026 and end on Saturday, 25th April, 2026,” JAMB wrote. “Mock-UTME (optional) shall hold on Saturday, March 28th, 2026.”

News

Another Two Legislators Withdraw from Impeachment Moves Against Fubara

Published

2 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Eric

Two more members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have urged their colleagues to withdraw the impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.

The appeal by Barile Nwakoh, representing Khana Constituency I, and Emilia Amadi of Obio/Akpor Constituency II comes 24 hours after two other lawmakers adopted a similar stance.

While maintaining that the governor and his deputy breached constitutional provisions, the lawmakers say their change of position followed interventions by well-meaning leaders of the state.

With this latest development, 4 out of the 26 lawmakers who signed the notice of alleged misconduct have now indicated support for a peaceful resolution of the political impasse.

The Minority Leader, Sylvanus Nwankwo, who represents the Omuma constituency, alongside Peter Abbey of the Degema Constituency, had earlier announced their change of position during a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Monday.

The legislators called on the Assembly to halt the impeachment process and explore alternative means of resolving the crisis.

News

Two Rivers Lawmakers Step Down from Impeachment Proceedings Against Fubara, Sue for Peace

Published

2 days ago

January 12, 2026

Eric

Two members of the Rivers House of Assembly, who are loyalists of former Governor Nyesom Wike, have withdrawn from the impeachment move against Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers.

The Minority Leader of the assembly, Sylvanus Enyinna Nwankwo, and Peter Abbey, who represents Degema State Constituency, urged their colleagues to exercise restraint and allow for dialogue to maintain stability in the state

In a video widely circulated on Facebook and an excerpt published by Rivers State Television, the lawmakers urged their colleagues to prioritise the overall interest and stability of Rivers above partisan disagreements.

Call for ‘cooling-off period’

The legislators stressed that the prevailing political climate demands calm, dialogue and a “cooling-off period” within the assembly to allow, in their words, “wisdom and truth to prevail” in the legislative chambers.

Although they did not expressly mention the impeachment process during the briefing, their intervention is being interpreted by political observers as a withdrawal from the impeachment push against Mr Fubara, which has heightened tensions in the state.

Background to impeachment moves

The Rivers assembly parted ways with Mr Fubara because of the feud between the governor and Mr Wike, who is the FCT minister.

The current impeachment notice on Mr Fubara is the third attempt in less than three years to remove the governor. The previous efforts had split the legislature into two factions, causing President Bola Tinubu to declare a six-month state of emergency in the oil-rich state and suspend the governor, the deputy governor, and the lawmakers.

The lawmakers accused the governor of constitutional breaches and administrative misconduct, allegations his supporters have dismissed as politically motivated.

Source: Premium Times