The journalist and television presenter, Dr Reuben Abati, has disagreed with Femi Falana, SAN, over the Nigerian Bar Association’s decision to invite the former Liberian President, George Weah, as keynote speaker at its 66th Annual General Conference, and has separately defended the presence of the social media commentator Martins Vincent Otse, known as Very Dark Man, at the same conference.

Abati spoke on Wednesday morning in his review of the day’s issues.

Addressing the criticism of the choice of keynote speaker, Abati said he did not share it.

“I do not agree with Femi Falana, SAN, when he was saying, oh, the NBA has invited George Weah, former president of Liberia, and that he’s a dictator,” he said.

He set out his basis. “Well, in the literature, George Weah is not even, in fact, considered a dictator. He was talking about judicial interference with the judiciary when George Weah was president of Liberia.”

He then pointed to the manner of the former president’s exit from office. “But it was the same George Weah that lost the election in, was it 2023, 2024, to Joseph Boakai. And he handed over power and left. And since then, there has been no evidence that he has been interfering.”

Abati turned next to complaints that had been raised about the invitation extended to Very Dark Man, and answered them from the sociology of law.

“The thing to note is to go in the direction of the sociology of law. Under that subject title, law functions in society. Law, legal practice, legal research, legal methodology, legal commentary, all these are constructs in society,” he said.

He continued: “And lawyers meeting also have an obligation to listen to their clients, and their clients include uneducated people, roadside people, social media noisemakers, dictators, television commentators who may not know what they comment about.”

He said the widening of the guest list serves a function for the profession itself. “It’s a whole community, and I think that by expanding the scope of participation year after year, the Nigerian Bar Association is getting a feedback. It’s a feedback process in terms of the function of both legal practitioners and the law in society.”

The former Liberian President delivered the keynote address at the opening of the conference in Port Harcourt, under the theme “Beyond Limits,” in which he warned that democracy is endangered by elected leaders who dismantle the institutions meant to restrain them, telling the gathering that “a tyrant with a certificate of return is still a tyrant.”

He also recounted his decision to concede the November 2023 presidential election in Liberia before the count was completed, saying that “the will of the people must stand above the ambitions of any one man.”

Very Dark Man’s presence at the conference has itself generated controversy, following remarks attributed to him from the platform concerning the country’s security agencies, over which the Convener of the Security Situation Room, Douglas Ogbankwa, Esq., has issued a seven-day demand that he produce evidence, retract, or prepare to substantiate the claims in court.

_______________________________________________________________________ Groundbreaking Guide For Lawyers: Adigwe Publishes ‘Artificial Intelligence For Lawyers’ With Free Research eBook The book also examines Nigeria's legal ecosystem, focusing on the LPELR and NBA AI Guidelines. As a bonus, every purchase comes with a FREE eBook titled: How to Use the AI Features in LegalPedia and LawPavilion. Ohio Books Ltd praises the publication, stating: "....this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic." How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626 Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACIarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria. _______________________________________________________________________

“Order Justice Omolaye-Ajileye’s Electronic Evidence Books Now” — Essential Guides On Evidence Act, Case Law And Digital Proof

Two leading books on electronic evidence by Hon. Justice Professor Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, Rtd., PhD, FICMC, are now available for purchase. The publications, Electronic Evidence (Second Edition), With The Evidence Act, 2011 and Compendium Of Cases On Electronic Evidence, Volume II, 2020–2025, provide practical guidance, legal analysis and recent judicial authorities on electronic evidence in Nigeria.Order directly from the author here: https://velvety-cendol-7387ed.netlify.app/ ______________________________________________________________________ [A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation ________________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence

Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via: 0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888 Website: www.alexandernigeria.com

_______________________________________________________________________