Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has formally asked Hon. Kene Nnadi of F.K. Nnadi & Co., Enugu, to confirm his eligibility to practice law for 2025, citing concerns over an outdated Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) seal on a recent correspondence submitted by the lawyer.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/TheNigerialawyer-WhatsApp-Channel1.jpg")
The request, issued by OAU’s Legal Unit on October 4, 2025, comes in response to a pre-action notice filed by Hon. Nnadi, which alleged procedural irregularities in the university’s 2025 Post-UTME admission process. In its reply, the university stressed that the seal used by the lawyer corresponded to 2024, raising questions about whether he had paid the required practicing fees for 2025.
In the letter signed by Yinka Ayantola, Director of Legal Services at OAU, the university wrote:
“It is our observation that the seal you affixed to your letter under reference is your 2024 seal. As you are aware, you have a duty to pay your practicing fee for 2025 to enable you to write as a lawyer. It is therefore our request that you establish your right to practice for the year as required by the relevant regulations. I have the instructions of the University to request you to do the needful.”
The correspondence, sent pursuant to Section 49 of the Obafemi Awolowo University Act 2019, was copied to the Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic Registrar, Committee of Deans, and Director of Academic Affairs.
The university maintained that Hon. Nnadi must first establish his current right to practice law before the institution engages further on the substantive concerns raised regarding Post-UTME procedures.
OAU Requests Lawyer To Confirm 2025 Practicing Status Over Outdated SealThe announcement, shared on OAU’s official X handle, has sparked widespread reactions online. Many legal professionals criticized the university’s focus on a technical seal rather than addressing the substantive issues highlighted in the pre-action notice.
Human rights lawyer Festus Ogun (@mrfestusogun) described the response as “technically shallow” and “legally embarrassing,” noting that the university “simply attacked the seal of the legal practitioner instead of engaging the content of the letter.”
Other reactions mirrored similar sentiments. @Chidi_Nka suggested the OAU Legal Unit should have consulted law students or reviewed court precedents on expired seals, while @RapuluN called the response “very lazy” and encouraged the lawyer to pursue the next legal steps. @HarunaMGeo referenced Supreme Court rulings affirming the validity of expired seals, and @astalavi questioned the adequacy of legal training at the university. Legal commentator @ROAzeez shared judgments confirming that expired seals do not invalidate legal documents.
The incident has reignited debate within Nigeria’s legal community on balancing technical compliance, such as NBA seals, with substantive justice, with many arguing that the focus on the seal overshadowed the core procedural issues raised by Hon. Nnadi.
As of now, OAU has not issued any further clarification, leaving the discussion on technical versus substantive legal compliance at the forefront.
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