The Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) will go head-to-head on March 24, 2022 at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court in the legal tussle on the controversial amendment of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners (RPC), CITY LAWYER can exclusively report.

This follows the assignment of the case filed by the NBA against Malami to Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court.

According to a document obtained by CITY LAWYER, the case, INCORPORATED TRUSTEES OF THE NBA VS ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION has also been assigned Suit Number FHC/ABJ/CS/77/2022.

It is recalled that fiery NBA-SLP Chairman, Chief Ferdinand Orbih SAN had in an exclusive interview last December told CITY LAWYER that NBA would sue Malami unless he formally reversed amendment of the RPC.

Giving further insight into the matter, Orbih said: “The Section on Legal Practice under my leadership was mandated by the National President of the NBA to drive the process. Upon receipt of the mandate I (in my capacity as the Chairman of the SLP) constituted the Legal team led by S. I. Ameh, SAN to commence the action.”

Other members of the four-member legal team are Messrs Elisha Kurah SAN, Mba Ekpezu Ukweni SAN and immediate past NBA-SLP Chairman, Oluseun Abimbola SAN.

Orbih told CITY LAWYER that “The Attorney-General of the Federation was on television to disclaim the controversial Rules of Professional Conduct.

“However, we are aware that the RPC has been gazetted under his name. We have therefore informed the Honourable Attorney-General that a viva voce disclaimer of the RPC will not suffice in the circumstances.

“The NBA Legal Committee has decided to engage the AGF and afford him an opportunity to issue a proper disclaimer through a written instrument published in the gazette. We expect this to be done by next week.

“If at the end of the day this is not done, we will have no option than to carry out the mandate of the NBA to litigate the matter. Let me assure that this will not take long any more, as we have been on this matter for almost two years.”

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