EXCLUSIVE: NEW SAN GUIDELINES ‘EMERGE,’ PEG AWARD TO 1 ACADEMIC

• FAR-REACHING REFORMS, TOUGH SANCTIONS IMMINENT

* BOSAN, NALT MAY GET SCREENING ROLES

* N1 MILLION APPLICATION FEE

Only the best applicant in the Academic Category will be conferred with the coveted rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in the 2023 preferment exercise, CITY LAWYER can authoritatively report.

CITY LAWYER gathered that the decision is in line with the intendment of the original drafters of the Guidelines that the award to academics should be made only in “exceptional cases.”

According to documents obtained by CITY LAWYER, aside from showing evidence of full-time teaching and research in a faculty of law in a reputable university duly accredited by both the National Universities Commission and the Council of Legal Education, a recognized legal research institute or the Nigerian Law School for at least 10 years immediately preceding the application, the applicant must be a professor in such institution, and must have been so for at least two years preceding the application, except if applicant is a Director-General of the Nigerian Law School.

Though controversy is trailing a purported ‘gazetted’ copy of the eagerly awaited 2022 Guidelines to be issued by the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC) of the Body of Benchers, multiple sources told CITY LAWYER that a whopping N1 Million is the new application fee for applicants seeking to be conferred with the rank, up from N300,000 in 2013 and N600,000 in the 2018 Guidelines. This is aside from a N200,000 “processing conferment fee” for successful applicants in the last exercise. Unlike the 2013 and 2018 Guidelines, the new rules may be silent on the exact amount to be paid as application fee.

Meanwhile, there are strong indications that the LPPC has cut the period for which applicants must have attained partnership in their law firms from five to two years preceding the application.

CITY LAWYER gathered that applications may now close on January 31 of every year, even as applicants may be required to provide the exact number of judgments required by the Guidelines and list the judgments in order of significance, unlike previously when applicants were allowed to dump as many cases as possible on the LPPC. The number of “final judgments” to be submitted by each applicant under the Advocates Category however remain unchanged at 20 judgments at the trial court level, five Court of Appeal judgments and four Supreme Court judgments.

However, in a move said to be designed to aid decongestion of court cases and ameliorate lengthy adjournments at the appellate courts, the Guidelines may provide that applicants who have valid pending appeals before the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court of Nigeria in which briefs have been settled prior to the making of the Guidelines and which appeals have been pending before the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court of Nigeria for a minimum of 7 (seven) years, and who are able to settle such appeals amicably by entering into terms of settlement and by submitting to consent judgments, will be permitted to count a maximum of 2 (two) such consent judgments as part of their cases. Aside from other criteria, this requirement will operate for only five years in the first instance.

The new Guidelines may contain an elaborate sanctions and disciplinary regime which bar provision of false and misleading information as well as lobbying by applicants. Defaulters will be “blacklisted” and barred from applying for the rank for three to 10 years. Accomplices who are already Senior Advocates of Nigeria may have their rank withdrawn aside from possible prosecution.

CITY LAWYER also gathered that the Guidelines may also codify both physical and virtual inspection of applicants’ chambers, even as the LPPC may co-opt Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) and National Association of Law Teachers (NALT) members in the screening of final judgments and articles submitted by the advocates and academics respectively.

CITY LAWYER recalls that the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court of Nigeria & Secretary to LPPC, Hajo Sarki Bello had in a press statement dated 29th September, 2022 noted that “The meeting (of LPPC) further approved a new Guidelines for the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria and all matters pertaining to the rank to guide future exercises.”

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FEWER SENIOR LAWYERS MAKE 2022 SAN LIST

• 20 ADVOCATES, 47 ACADEMICS DROPPED

* BOSAN WINS, AS LPPC REJIGS SAN GUIDELINES

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has unveiled 62 senior lawyers who made the coveted rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria for the 2022 preferment programme.

A breakdown of the list showed that the lawyers comprised 9 academics and 53 advocates.

The number is 10 short of the 72 senior lawyers that were conferred with the new rank last year. Meanwhile, a whopping 67 of the 129 lawyers who made the 2022 shortlist also fell by the way side.

Of the 73 shortlisted advocates, 53 were conferred with the rank while 20 did not make the list. Most of the shortlisted applicants who did not make the final list came from the Academics Category where a whopping 47 were dropped, leaving only nine of the 56 applicants originally shortlisted by the LPPC.

A total of 137 lawyers were shortlisted for the rank in 2020 — with 116 advocate applicants and 21 academic applicants. Just as in 2021, 72 senior lawyers made the list of successful candidates while 65 fell by the way side.

The Committee is also set to unveil new Guidelines for the 2023 application season. The Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) has especially been vocal is canvassing an overhaul of the awards regime in order to restore the rank to its glory days. BOSAN had also urged that the awards should be paused while the review subsisted.

Among the new SAN-designates are three Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecutors, namely Messrs Wahab Shittu, Sylvanus Tahir, and Rotimi Oyedepo.

Others are former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Prof. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo; former Oyo State Attorney-General, Mr. Mutalubi Ojo Adebayo; University of Lagos scholar, Prof. Gabriel Amokaye, as well as Messrs Andrew Malgwi, Godson Ugochukwu, and Oladipo Akanmu Tolani.

A statement by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the LPPC, Hajo Sarki Bello, said the SAN-designates would be inaugurated on 21st November, 2022.

The full text of the statement reads:

29th September, 2022

PRESS RELEASE

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) under the chairmanship of His Lordship, Hon Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, at its 154th plenary session held today 29th September, 2022, has approved the elevation of 62 legal practitioners to the Inner Bar. The rank of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is awarded as a mark of excellence to members of the legal profession who have distinguished themselves as advocates and academics.

The swearing – in ceremony of the 62 legal practitioners is scheduled to take place on Monday the 21st day of November 2022.The new appointees for year 2022 exercise are:

ADVOCATE APPOINTEES (IN ORDER OF SENIORITY AT THE BAR)

1. MOHAMMED ABDULLAHI ABUBAKAR, ESQ.
2. JOHNSON TARIGHO OMOPHE UGBODUMA, ESQ.
3. LAWRENCE SUNDAY OKO-JAJA, ESQ.
4. CHRISTOPHER AGBOMEIRHE SUNDAY OSHOMEGIE, ESQ.
5. SANUSI OLUGBENGA SAI’D, ESQ.
6. WAHAB KUNLE SHITTU, ESQ.
7. EMMANUEL IDEMUDIA OBOH, ESQ.
8. DIRI SAID MOHAMMED, ESQ.
9. OLADIPO AKANMU TOLANI, ESQ.
10. AYODEJI OYEWOLE OMOTOSO, ESQ
11. CHIJIOKE OGBONNA ERONDU, ESQ.
12. AJOKU KINGSLEY OBINNA, ESQ.
13. YAKUBU MAIKASUWA, ESQ.
14. HENRY ESHIJONAM OMU, ESQ.
15. DAGOGO ISRAEL IBOROMA, ESQ.
16. JOSEPH ADEMU AKUBO, ESQ.
17. GOZIE BERTRAND OBI, ESQ.
18. INAM AKPADIAGHA WILSON ESQ.
19. ABUBAKAR BATURE SULU-GAMBARI, ESQ.
20. ABIOYE ARAOYE OLOYEDE ASANIKE, ESQ.
21. SYLVANUS TAHIRU, ESQ.
22. BOLARINWA ELIJAH AIDI, ESQ.
23. TONYE TOMBERE JENEWARI KRUKRUBO, ESQ.
24. ADEREMI MOSHOOD BASHUA, ESQ.
25. KOLAPO OLUGBENGA KOLADE, ESQ.
26. SAMUEL PETER KARGBO, ESQ.
27. IFEANYICHUKWU SYLVESTER OBIAKOR, ESQ.
28. OLASOJI OLAIYA OLOWOLAFE, ESQ.
29. MUTALUBI OJO ADEBAYO, ESQ.
30. VICTOR ODAFE OGUDE, ESQ.
31. SULAYMAN OLAWALE IBRAHIM, ESQ.
32. MUMINI ISHOLA HANAFI, ESQ.
33. TANKO TANKO ASHANG, ESQ.
34. DAMIAN OHAKWE OKORO, ESQ.
35. ANDREW MWAJIM MALGWI, ESQ.
36. ETUKWU ONAH, ESQ.
37. ADEBORO LATEEF ADAMSON, ESQ.
38. BANKOLE JOEL AKOMOLAFE, ESQ.
39. KELECHI CHINEDUM OBI, ESQ.
40. ANDREW OSEMEDUA ODUM, ESQ.
41. OKORO OKECHUKWU EDWIN, ESQ.
42. GODSON CHUKWUDI UGOCHUKWU, ESQ.
43. STEVEN ONYECHI ONONYE, ESQ.
44. IKANI KANU AGABI, ESQ.
45. MUSTAPHA SHABA IBRAHIM, ESQ.
46. MUIZUDEEN YUNUS ABDULLAHI, ESQ.
47. MAGAJI MATO IBRAHIM, ESQ.
48. SUNUSI MUSA, ESQ.
49. OLADOYIN OLUSEYI AWOYALE, ESQ.
50. ROTIMI ISEOLUWA OYEDEPO, ESQ.
51. CHUKWUDUBEM BONAVENTURE ANYIGBO, ESQ.
52. LUKMAN OYEBANJI FAGBEMI, ESQ.
53. MICHAEL JONATHAN NUMA, ESQ.

ACADEMIC APPOINTEES (IN ORDER OF SENIORITY AT THE BAR)
1. PROF. KATHLEEN EBELECHUKWU OKAFOR
2. PROF. MUHAMMED TAOFEEQ ABDULRAZAQ
3. PROF. AMOKAYE OLUDAYO GABRIEL
4. PROF. ISMAIL ADENIYI OLATUNBOSUN
5. PROF. ABDULLAHI SHEHU ZURU
6. PROF. JOY NGOZI EZEILO
7. ASS/PROF. THEODORE BALA MAIYAKI
8. PROF. OLAIDE ABASS GBADAMOSI
9. ASS/PROF. CHIMEZIE KINGSLEY OKORIE

The meeting further approved a new Guidelines for the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria and all matters pertaining to the rank to guide future exercises.

Dated at Abuja, Federal Capital Territory this 29th day of September, 2022

HAJO SARKI BELLO, ESQ
CHIEF REGISTRAR OF THE SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA / SECRETARY LPPC

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NBA ELECTIONS 2022: THE CONTENDERS, THE PRETENDERS

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) will on July 16, 2022 conduct an election to fill vacancies in the National Executive Council (NEC) and the General Council of the Bar (GCB).

A frenzy of activities and jostling has attended the run-up to the eagerly awaited elections. In this piece, and against the backdrop of release of the Election Guidelines by the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA), CITY LAWYER makes a sneak preview of the gladiators that may mount the soap-box to contest the forthcoming elections.

PRESIDENT
Barring any major shifts, the battle for the NBA Presidency will be a three-legged tussle between Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama SAN, Mr. Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau SAN and Mr. Jonathan Taidi. While Gadzama is the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Security Agencies Relations Committee (NBA-SARC), Maikyau is the Chairman of the NBA Welfare Committee. On his part, Taidi is the immediate past NBA General Secretary. The three gladiators have invariably hit the ‘campaign trail’ on “consultations,” attending sundry meetings and events hosted by NBA branches and regional blocs and generally fraternizing with potential voters while seeking the buy-in of especially influential Bar Leaders and young lawyers on their vision for the Bar. A major issue that is bound to impact the presidential race is the debate over “micro-zoning” of the presidential slot. While the ECNBA’s decision on the issue is eagerly awaited, there is no gainsaying that it will invariably impact the presidential election.

GENERAL SECRETARY
Aside from the presidential race, the election for the post of General Secretary is poised to be a fierce dog-fight between five gladiators. These are Messrs Adesina Adegbite, Desmond Yamah, Ede Asenoguan, Ewenode William and Collins Ogiegbaen. While Adegbite is the penultimate NBA Welfare Secretary, Yamah is a former NBA Abuja Branch Chairman. Asenoguan held sway in NBA Benin Branch as its one-time Chairman while William is the immediate past NBA Assistant General Secretary and former NBA Effurun Branch Secretary. On his part, Ogiegbaen is the immediate past NBA Benin Branch Chairman. It is speculated that unless the Midwest Bar is able to reach a rapprochement among its four aspirants, it may hand the initiative to Adegbite who may poll a block vote from the South West bloc, thus dealing the Midwest Bar a similar hand it unleashed on the Egbe Amofin bloc during the 2014 and 2020 elections that led to the emergence of former NBA President, Mr. Augustine Alegeh SAN and current president, Mr. Olumide Akpata. CITY LAWYER gathered that as at this weekend, the talks remained deadlocked, moreso given the factionalization of the Midwest Bar into two strident opposing camps.

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
Zoned to the “Northern Zone,” the race for the pivotal seat of NBA First Vice President is between Linda Rose Bala and Messrs Yakubu Saleh Bawa, Idris Doko Muhammad and Liman Salihu. While Bala is former NBA Legal Adviser, Bawa is current Chairman of NBA Jos Branch. On his part, Salihu is former Chairman of NBA Lokoja Branch while Muhammad is of NBA Lagos Branch. Although Bala is seen as having a better name recall and a veteran of NBA politics of sorts, analysts told CITY LAWYER that the other aspirants are “working very hard” to upstage her and neutralize any advantage her earlier involvement in NBA national politics may have afforded her.

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT
The post of Second Vice President is zoned to the “Eastern Zone.” CITY LAWYER gathered that while the influential Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) may have ‘micro-zoned’ the slot to the Core East, at least four aspirants may jostle for the position. Among the gladiators are the immediate past NBA Bwari Branch Chairman, Mr. Clement Chukwuemeka (aka “Democrats”); his NBA Owerri Branch counterpart, Mr. Damian Nosike; Dr. Gerald Abonyi, pioneer NBA Obollo-Afor Branch Chairman who was disqualified during the last general election, and Mr. Anthony Chukwurah, former NBA Gwagwalada Branch Secretary. Sources however told CITY LAWYER that three more aspirants – a university teacher from Awka Branch, a former branch chairman from Ezeagu Branch and yet another branch chairman from Mbano or Mbaise branch – may yet join the fray. The EBF has set up a Screening Committee to grill the aspirants and make recommendations to it.

THIRD VICE PRESIDENT
Zoned to the “Western Zone” comprising the eight States in the Egbe Amofin O’odua and Midwest Bar forums, the race is a straight fight between former NBA Ota Branch Chairman, Mr. Isaac Omuta Ogbah and Mr. Promise Ademi-Akpeto, his NBA Sapele Branch counterpart. Ademi-Akpeto is the current Treasurer of Midwest Bar Forum and was recently listed as having expressed interest in being appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Both former NBA Ikorodu Branch Chairman, Mr. Bayo Akinlade and Siyanbola Ganiyat Adetutu who were rumoured to have interest in the position told CITY LAWYER that there is no truth in the speculation. Adetutu lost the race for the position of First Vice President in the last election.

TREASURER
The position of Treasurer is an all-comers affair, as it is not zoned to any particular bloc. Viewed as an influential position in NBA matters – moreso with the wiping off of the post of Financial Secretary – the race is poised to be between four aspirants, including former NBA Assistant Publicity Secretary, Mr. Chuks Mbamala of NBA Enugu Branch; current NBA Epe Branch Vice Chairman and NBA-SPIDEL Committee Treasurer, Funmi Adeogun; Caroline Ladidi Anze-Bishop, former Vice Chairman and former NEC Representative, NBA Bukuru Branch, and Safiya Balarabe of Lafia Branch.

WELFARE SECRETARY
The position of Welfare Secretary is also not zoned to any bloc. Among those said to be jostling for the post former NBA Assistant Secretary, Chinyere Obasi; NBA Welfare Committee member and co-opted NEC member, Mr. Auta Nyada and current NBA Aba Branch Vice Chairman, Mr. Victor Onweremadu. CITY LAWYER reliably gathered that at least four aspirants may eventually make the ballot.

PUBLICITY SECRETARY
The position of Publicity Secretary is not zoned to any bloc. This is a tripodal race between the immediate past Assistant Publicity Secretary, Mr. Habeeb Akorede Lawal; current NBA Welfare Committee Secretary, Ogaga Emoghwanre, and the latest entrant, Mr. Felix Chukwuma Ashimole (aka Che Oyinatumba), a former NBA Bwari Branch Secretary and former Member of NBA Anti-Corruption Committee.

ASSISTANT GENERAL SECRETARY
The position of Assistant General Secretary is also not zoned to any bloc. This race may present a crowded field of aspirants. They include current NBA Ikorodu Branch Secretary, Mr. Oluwaseun Aka; incumbent NBA Ilorin Branch Secretary, Mr. Dhikrullah Adewale Balogun; Mr. Daniel Kip of Calabar; Mr. Oseme Peremene Anthony, former NBA Idemili Branch Chairman; Mr. Ayo Scott, former NBA Ughelli Branch Chairman, and one A. O. Abba of NBA Minna Branch.

ASSISTANT PUBLICITY SECRETARY
The position of Assistant Publicity Secretary is also not zoned to any bloc. While this may be a straight fight between Mr. Charles Ajiboye who also contested for the position during the last election and Mr. Akachukwu Nwoye, current NBA Gwagwalada Branch Secretary, CITY LAWYER gathered that other aspirants are waiting in the wings to join the race.

CITY LAWYER reliably gathered that two former branch chairmen and a former branch secretary are among those gunning to represent the NBA at the General Council of the Bar.

It remains to be seen how the permutations will play out as the elections draw closer.

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MAIKYAU, TAIDI’S FATE SEALED, AS ECNBA ISSUES ELECTION GUIDELINES

The Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) has issued guidelines for conduct of the 2022 NBA National Election as well as election into the General Council of the Bar.

According to the Guidelines obtained by CITY LAWYER and dated March 24, 2022 there are strong indications that the committee may have foreclosed the controversy surrounding micro-zoning of national offices. This may brighten the chances of senior lawyer and Chairman of NBA Welfare Committee, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau SAN and former NBA General Secretary, Mr. Jonathan Taidi who are believed to be eyeing the post of NBA President.

CITY LAWYER recalls that Mr. Olasupo Ojo had in a letter to ECNBA faulted the Preliminary Notice of Election issued by the committee, arguing that it did not provide for “micro-zoning” of national offices as mandated by the National Executive Council (NBA-NEC). The letter was titled “RE: ECNBA PRELIMINARY NOTICE OF ELECTION” and dated March 21, 2022. Given that the ECNBA Guidelines were released early today, it was unclear at press time whether it was a veiled response to Ojo’s complaint.

Watchers of NBA politics believe that if implemented, the micro-zoning formula would have shut out Maikyau and Taidi, handing the initiative to leading arbitrator and Chairman of NBA Security Agencies Relations Committee (NBA-SARC), Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama SAN who is from the North East.

In the Guidelines titled “GUIDELINES FOR THE 2022 ELECTIONS OF NATIONAL OFFICERS OF THE NBA AND NBA REPRESENTATIVES TO THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF THE BAR,” ECNBA merely restated the zoning formula as contained in its Preliminary Notice of Election where it allotted the positions of NBA President and First Vice President to “Northern Zone.”

The committee listed the States under “Northern Zone” to include Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and FCT-Abuja. This means that aspirants from the North East, North West and North Central can vie for the positions.

The Guidelines also dealt with issues ranging from offices to be contested for in the elections, zoning of offices, qualifications to hold national office, qualifications to hold office as NBA Representative to the General Council of the Bar to issues relating to disqualification of candidates, nomination of candidates, appeals by disqualified candidates, campaign rules and regulations and electronic voting.

On announcement of results of election, the committee said: “At the close of the poll, the ECNBA shall in the presence of the candidates, or their representatives/agents collate and verify the votes before the announcement of results.”

It added that “Pursuant to Part X (1), Second Schedule of the Constitution, the results of the election shall be announced within twenty-four (24) hours of the conduct of elections upon collation and verification of the votes.”

The ECNBA Chairman, Mr. Richard Akintunde SAN had told CITY LAWYER that the committee had received the complaint from Ojo, adding that it would respond “as soon as possible.”

ECNBA Election Guidelines 24 March 2022

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BREAKING: ECNBA Unveils Voting Manual

The Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) has unveiled the manual for accreditation and voting for the NBA National Officers Elections. Continue Reading