NBA ELECTIONS: UNVEILING BAR-MAN ONIMISI OBAJAJA

Onimisi Stephen Obajaja’s Education, Focus and Fidelity

Onimisi S. Obajaja holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Benin and a Post Graduate Degree of the University of Lagos. He is a Legal Practitioner and Notary Public in Lagos, Nigeria, where he is a Partner at the Lagos Law firm of Fountain Court Partners and he is a former Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos Branch as well as a member of the National Executive Council of the NBA. His one focus since he was called to the bar has been legal practice and fidelity to the law and the bar.

Onimisi Stephen Obajaja’s Work Strength

Onimisi S. Obajaja’s forte is Commercial Law, Civil litigation, Corporate Governance, Immigration, Pension Reform and Criminal Defense. He is a formidable advisor on corporate governance, cross border analysis and comparative company law. He has also done considerable work in Pre-election matters/Election petitions, litigating at Nigeria’s Courts of first instance and at the Appellate Courts and Tribunals. He is generally very experienced in every aspect of Nigerian Law and Practice.

Onimisi Stephen Obajaja’s NIALS Credentials

Onimisi S. Obajaja has spoken and delivered intellectually stimulating and thought-provoking papers at both legal, political, social and humanitarian circles. He has served as faculty to the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies where he brought new and critically acclaimed insights into likely settled but malleable areas and then emergent areas of the law – these areas include but not limited to the Principles of Front Loading and Consolidation of Action, Electronic Evidence, Virtual Proceedings, Statute of Limitation: Capital Market Disputes.

Onimisi Stephen Obajaja’s Litigation Credentials

Onimisi S. Obajaja has litigated at every stratum of Nigerian Courts – contributing his quota to the development of the Law and jurisprudence. In the course of this, he represented, defended individuals, corporations and sundry entities. He also represents a considerable number of foreign clients in Nigeria qua case qua person. His critically acclaimed litigation skills have been acknowledged by members of the bar, the bench and the general public.

Onimisi Stephen Obajaja’s Right’s Credentials

Onimisi S. Obajaja, who is a member of the Human Rights Committee of the Lagos Branch has regularly interfaced with Law officers of States of the Federation, Police authorities, the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission and other related Law enforcement agencies in Nigeria where he offers professional advice, engage with officials to ensure respect for human rights and observance of the rule of law.

He has brought many cases to enforce the fundamental rights of citizens where they had been abused or there were imminent threats to do so and he successfully prosecuted many of such cases at the High Courts, the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal.

He acted as Defence Attorney in numerous cases at the Magistrates and High Courts with satisfactory outcomes. He was pioneering defence attorney when the EFCC was first established and he successfully prosecuted many cases which included various charges of Obtaining by False Pretenses, Conspiracy and Stealing. He also successfully represented many defendants on pro bono cases in defence of human rights including a serious murder charge at the High Court of Lagos State where he also obtained favourable outcomes.

He contributed to the development of Criminal Law Jurisprudence in Nigeria by his writings which includes the titles “Domestic Violence in Nigeria: How the Law Can help”, “The Right Concept of Citizenship”, “Nigeria: Between Music and Prison”, “The Nigerian Police and Policing” which were all published in Nigeria’s leading papers. His seminal work, “AN OVERVIEW OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE LAW OF LAGOS STATE AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACT OF THE FEDERATION” was a three-part serial in the Nation Newspapers in 2018.

Onimisi Stephen Obajaja’s Intellectual Credentials

Onimisi S. Obajaja has over 100 (One Hundred papers published) over two decades. He has many scholarly publications, legal opinions and incisive articles on contemporary local, national and international issues and his papers have been published in all of Nigeria’s leading daily newspapers such as the Guardian, the Nation, the Thisday, the Moment newspapers and even in the New York Times amongst others. Those incisive works include;

The Role of the Judiciary in the Sustenance of Democracy in Nigeria
NBA Elections: The Trajectory of Reforms
Law: The Profession of Freemen
HIV/AIDS: Our Courts and African Governments
An Interrogation of the Protection of Copyright in Nigeria
Still on the Courts and Internal Democracy in Nigeria
Domestic Violence in Nigeria: How the Law Can Help
Re: Hello, Hyphenated – Lawyers
The Nigerian Police and Policing
Re: “Fighting Corruption is Dangerous” – A Word in for the Judiciary
Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN)

Onimisi Stephen Obajaja’s Credentials on Intervention in National Discourse:

Onimisi S. Obajaja has intervened in national issues on mainstream Nigerian television media. He has spoken on many diverse issues on National TV with focus on the good of the legal profession in particular and the interest of Nigeria in general. His interventions have always been critical and germane to institutional and nation building.

Onimisi Stephen Obajaja’s Partnership Credentials

Onimisi S. Obajaja and his partners at FCP continue to contribute and make remarkable impact at the level of the NBA and in society. The Bar, especially in Lagos knows what it was when they honoured Pa Olatunji Gomez in 2018 in a first of its kind and when they followed suit with honouring Femi Okunu, SAN in 2023. The two illustrious members of the Lagos bar were 90 years at the time they were so honoured.

The remarkable men and public intellectuals, Dr. Chidi Odinkalu and M.A. Banire, SAN spoke at those events and the papers they delivered on Activism at the Bar and on the Land Use Act respectively are eternal treasures.

Onimisi Stephen Obajaja’s Book Credentials

Onimisi S. Obajaja helped in researching and contributed to the book “Pension Law and Practice in Nigeria” edited by Mbanugo Udenze and spoke at the launch of the book at the Golden Gate (Chinese) Restaurant, Ikoyi to a stellar cast of attendees at the time he was only three years at the bar. He was continued in that tradition. He continues to write and speak always to address critical issues in society.

Onimisi Stephen Obajaja and the Nigerian Bar Association

Onimisi S. Obajaja, who is a public and policy affairs analyst was Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, Lagos Branch from 2015 to 2017. He was the pioneer Secretary of the Pension Lawyers Association of Nigerian (PLAN). He was a member of the National Executive Committee (now Council) of the Nigerian Bar Association from 2015 to 2017. He was a member of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the Annual General Conference, (AGC) held in Lagos in 2017.

The Emeritus President of the Bar, Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata found Onimisi S. Obajaja worthy and he appointed him into the Nigerian Bar Association National Officers Elections Appeal Committee in the year 2022 where he discharged his duties excellently and to the good of the association.

Onimisi S. Obajaja is so passionate and committed to the good of the NBA that he keeps calling for reforms since his early days at the bar. Notable amongst these calls are the ones he made in comprehensive papers;

Calling for institutional reforms encompassing the electoral process, the Annual General Conference and governance affairs of the NBA.

NBA Elections: Trajectory of Reforms, calling for further electoral reforms after successive electoral disputes at the NBA following electronic voting and the introduction of universal suffrage.

A Comprehensive Memorandum on Electoral Reforms submitted to the Ayodele Richard Akintunde, SAN led Election Reform Committee of the NBA appointed by Emeritus President, Olumide Akpata in 2020.

Onimisi Stephen Obajaja – Final Word

Onimisi S. Obajaja who has contributed in many other ways to the bar through committee activities at Branch and National levels continues to be an excellent bar man, friend and humanitarian who sees the people and the world clearly. He understands the foibles and nuances of life and he is a man of many parts who is comfortable with the complex issues of life.

Onimisi S. Obajaja is ready to serve the bar and its teeming members in “a bar association that cares for the good of all, a bar association that walks together for all”.