Lagos Attorney General Under Fire For Chairing APC Appeal Panel
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The decision to appoint the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Honorable Lawal Pedro SAN, as chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Primary Election Petition Panel has stirred controversy among party stakeholders and legal experts.
Pedro, who currently serves as the Chief Law Officer of the state, was named head of the appeal panel set up to address widespread allegations of irregularities, misconduct, and malpractice that trailed the recently concluded local government chairmanship and councillorship primaries.
The appeal committee also includes Otunba Abiodun Olufowobi as secretary, Rt. Honorable Jokotola Pelumi, a former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Honorable Lanre Ogunyemi, a former state lawmaker and ex-Secretary of the party, and Chief Chukwudi Adiukwu.
However, the inclusion of Pedro has drawn criticism, with some describing the move as ethically questionable.
“It is against ethical standards for the Attorney General, who should be a neutral figure in matters of law and justice, to be saddled with a partisan assignment,” said Barrister James Akin Afolabi, a legal practitioner and party member. “This responsibility should have been given to a trusted senior party figure, not the Chief Law Officer of the state.”
Critics argue that Pedro’s role in overseeing a politically sensitive panel within his own party risks eroding public confidence in the neutrality of the office he occupies.
The APC in Lagos has not responded to the backlash as of the time of filing this report.
The party’s local government primary elections have been dogged by accusations of imposition, vote tampering, and irregular delegate lists, prompting calls for transparent and credible review processes.
