Retired Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Oludotun Adefope-Okojie, will deliver the 2026 Gavel International Annual Lecture on November 17, focusing on the increasingly debated role of the judiciary in Nigeria’s electoral process.
The lecture, titled “Electoral Process in Nigeria: Managing the Boundaries of Judicial Intervention,” will examine the relationship between judicial intervention in electoral disputes and the constitutional right of Nigerians to determine their representatives through the ballot box.
The event will hold at the Main Hall of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nurudeen Olowopopo Road, Central Business District, Alausa-Ikeja, Lagos.
Former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Bayelsa State, Chief Anthony George-Ikoli, SAN, will chair the event. George-Ikoli is also the first Senior Advocate of Nigeria produced by Bayelsa State.
Human rights lawyer and activist, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, will moderate the panel discussion following the lecture.
The organisers said the theme was chosen against the backdrop of continuing public debate over the role of the courts in determining electoral disputes and the implications of judicial decisions for the votes cast by Nigerians.
The lecture will therefore examine the constitutional and practical boundaries of judicial intervention and the need to balance the adjudicatory role of the courts with the electorate’s authority to choose its political representatives.
Justice Adefope-Okojie brings extensive judicial experience to the discussion, having served both on the High Court of Lagos State and the Court of Appeal, where she participated in the adjudication of electoral and other constitutional disputes.
She obtained her Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Lagos in 1975 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1976. She later obtained a Master of Laws degree from the University of London.
She began her legal career during her National Youth Service at the Ministry of Justice, Plateau State, where she subsequently became a State Counsel. In 1978, she joined the chambers of Gally Brown-Peterside, SAN, and in 1983 established Adefope & Co. in Jos, Plateau State.
She practised litigation and corporate law until her appointment as a judge of the High Court of Lagos State in 1996. She served in various divisions of the High Court before her elevation to the Court of Appeal in March 2014.
At the Court of Appeal, she served in the Kaduna and Owerri divisions before retiring from the Federal Judiciary on May 17, 2023.
Justice Adefope-Okojie is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), a member of the International Dispute Resolution Institute and Chancellor of the Diocese of Kaduna, Anglican Communion.
She is also the author of Civil Litigation: A Quick Reference Guide to Substantive Law and Procedure, now in its fourth edition.
Gavel International said her extensive judicial experience, particularly in electoral adjudication, placed her in a strong position to lead the discussion on the relationship between the judiciary and the electoral process.
The organisation said her experience on the Bench and commitment to justice, constitutionalism and the rule of law would provide useful perspectives for policymakers, legal practitioners, academics and other stakeholders engaged in Nigeria’s democratic process.
Gavel’s record of public engagement
Founded by journalist Mustapha Ogunsakin in 2008, Gavel International is a legal and judicial news platform covering the administration of justice, constitutional governance and the rule of law.
The organisation has also used its platform to convene public discussions on important legal and governance issues.
In 2015, Gavel International hosted the public presentation of Ogunsakin’s book, For the Love of Their Nation: Lawyers as Agents of Change in Nigeria. The event featured former Vice-President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, as keynote presenter, while Mr Dele Adesina, SAN, former General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, reviewed the book.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the organisation convened a virtual conference on “Media Coverage of Virtual Court Proceedings: Prospects and Challenges.”
The conference attracted prominent legal scholars, jurists, lawyers and media professionals, including Prof. Osinbajo, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, CFR, Mr Dele Adesina, SAN, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, Prof. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, Mr Richard Akinnola, Dr Reuben Abati and Mrs Shola Shoyele.
The Gavel International Annual Lecture has also featured leading voices in Nigeria’s legal profession.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, delivered the 2024 edition, while renowned legal scholar and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Prof. Yusuf Ali, SAN, delivered the 2025 lecture.
The 2026 edition will additionally feature the presentation of awards to Nigerians who have distinguished themselves through contributions to law, justice, business, human rights, education and public service.
The organisers said the event is expected to draw senior judicial officers, lawyers, academics, policymakers, public officials, members of the diplomatic community, business leaders, journalists and other stakeholders.
The panel discussion, to be moderated by Falana, is expected to extend the debate beyond the lecture and provide perspectives from the legal profession, academia and the media on the appropriate limits of judicial intervention in Nigeria’s electoral process.