NBA Presidency: Controversy Trails Awolomo’s Letter, As Lawyers Show Support For Olumide Akpata

By Team Akpata

The Nigerian legal space was met this morning with a stir caused by a leaked letter addressed by Chief Awomolo, SAN, in which the learned Silk amongst other things declared the office of the President of the Nigerian Bar Association a position reserved for SANs and urged the SANs not to let junior lawyers “ridicule” the position.

Various reactions have trailed this revelation and many lawyers have expressed their outrage and pledged support for Olumide Akpata whose ideas, plans and traction of stellar leadership is set to revolutionize the Bar for good

It is worthy to note that many lawyers had prior to this statement from Chief Awolomo expressed their views on how the NBA Presidency is not the preserve of SANs.

Some of the comments are reproduced below:
Mohammed Dele Belgore SAN Endorses Olumide Akpata for NBA President 2020, Says NBA Presidency not Preserve of SANs

”Finally, I should ask where is it written that the privilege of leading the NBA is the exclusive preserve of Senior Advocates of Nigeria? That “exclusivity” is untenable, undeserved and un-egalitarian.”
— Mohammed Dele Belgore, SAN. Partner, Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe & Belgore

“May I add that the inner and outer bar dichotomy should never be a consideration in deciding the next NBA President. The consideration in deciding the NBA president should be the candidate that possesses the credentials, the unquenchable drive and the passion for the job. I have watched Olumide Akpata closely in his almost 30 years of successful practice. He is the kind of candidate that our profession urgently needs.”

Hairat Balogun, Life Bencher and first female Attorney General of Lagos State

*”For me this is a game changer, some years ago my dear friend Afam was disqualified simply because he was not an SAN. Its not a provision in the NBA Constitution that in order to contest and be elected the NBA President you have to be an SAN. Though it has been long since any non SAN was elected the president of NBA, in my humble view this election is not about electing an SAN or not as the right person to lead our dear profession which has been declining in terms of integrity, respect and influence in our society.

Globally disruption from the norm is the trend, doing things right no matter the circumstances, “black lives matter” Olu Akpata is what we need at this point in time. Electing Olu Akpata as the NBA president through a fair and legitimate electoral process can help not only our profession but the leadership of our country.”*

-Ahmed T. Uwais, Esq

“So even if I have 100 years’ post qualification experience and have served the Bar meritoriously in various leadership capacities, I cannot aspire to the office of President of the Bar unless I have taken silk (not withstanding that this is not a requirement of the NBA Constitution)? Please, this NBA is clearly not for me.”

— Esther Daramola, lawyer with 2 years’ PQE.