Chief Wole Olanipekun, CFR, SAN, Life Bencher at 74: Celebrating a Life of Purpose, Passion and Profound Impact

By Muritala O. Abdul-Rasheed and Mutalubi Ojo Adebayo

There are men whose lives become footnotes in history; there are others whose names are etched in marble; and then there are a rare few whose presence becomes an era, a towering epoch of influence, integrity, and inspiration. Chief Wole Olanipekun, CFR, SAN, Life Bencher, belongs firmly in the last category.

As he marks his 74th birthday today 18th of November, 2025 we celebrate not merely the passage of time, but the extraordinary odyssey of a man who has become a colossus in Nigerian legal history, a voice of reason in national discourse, a builder of institutions, a philanthropist without trumpet, and a force whose brilliance is equaled by his achievement.

This tribute is an attempt to honour a man whose journey continues to illuminate the path of countless admirers.

The Making of a Prodigy

Chief Olanipekun’s life is one of providence meeting discipline. Born on 18 November, 1951 in Ikere-Ekiti, he emerged from humble beginnings to enter the annals of Nigeria’s intellectual aristocracy. His early education at Amoye Grammar School, Ikere-Ekiti and later Ilesa Grammar School, set the stage for a mind marked by curiosity, diligence, and a passion for excellence.

After his A level at Ilesa Grammar School, he proceeded to the University of Lagos, where he studied Law from 1972 to 1975, a decision that would shape not only his destiny, but the future of legal advocacy in Nigeria. In July 1976, he was called to the Nigerian Bar as a young man blazing with promise.

But even then, those around him sensed that he was not an ordinary lawyer. He carried himself with the seriousness of one destined for remarkable heights, painstaking in preparation, meticulous in reasoning, resolute in character, and guided by a moral compass deeply rooted in faith.

His rise to the Inner Bar came in 1991,thus attaining a rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria which is an honour reserved for only the most formidable advocates. Yet, he emerged not just as a recipient of the silk, but as the youngest SAN of his era, a testament to his brilliance, sheer industry, and mastery of legal advocacy.

For him, the law was not simply a profession, it was a solemn calling. Today, almost five decades later, that calling has blossomed into a legacy unparalleled in breadth and depth.

The Legal Architect of a Generation

Chief Wole Olanipekun’s legal practice defies easy categorization because he mastered virtually every major area of Nigerian law, an astonishing achievement even among the greatest practitioners. From Constitutional Law to Electoral Litigation, from Admiralty to Arbitration, from Chieftaincy to Criminal Law, from Telecommunications to Oil & Gas, his footprint is everywhere.

He is, without dispute, one of the most successful and highly sought-after lawyers in the history of the Nigerian Bar. He founded Wole Olanipekun & Co., which today stands as a fortress of intellectual depth, legal innovation, and professional excellence. With headquarters in Lagos, a vibrant branch in Abuja, Ilorin (where he started) and presence across the entire nation, the firm has become an incubator of some of the finest legal minds in Nigeria.

Many who passed through its doors are now judges, senior advocates, professors, public officers, and leaders in diverse fields. Certainly, Chief Olanipekun’s influence on the profession cannot be overstated.

He has served as President of the Nigerian Bar Association (2002–2004); Chairman Body of Benchers (2022-2023) Vice President, Pan African Lawyers Union (2003); Life Bencher (from 2007); Pro-Chancellor & Chairman of Council, University of Ibadan (2004–2006); Pro-Chancellor & Chairman of Council, Ajayi Crowther University (2014–2018); Current Pro-Chancellor & Chairman of Council, University of Lagos (2024 )

These roles were not ceremonial, they were platforms for his characteristic leadership, firm, visionary, courageous, and always anchored in integrity.To sit in a courtroom and watch him cross-examine or address the Bench is to witness an orchestra of intellect, eloquence, and strategic brilliance.

His advocacy is a study in persuasion, calm, measured, remarkably logical, and delivered with the precision of a master craftsman. He does not shout except angered, he illuminates; He does not intimidate, he elevates the argument. He does not seek theatrics, he seeks truth. Therefore for decades, his name has become synonymous with forensic advocacy, and towering professionalism.

The Man Behind The Legend

Beyond the courtroom, beyond the national acclaim, and far beyond the glittering honors, lies a man whose character is perhaps his greatest achievement.

Chief Wole Olanipekun is an embodiment of humility, remarkable, refreshing, and almost paradoxical given the vastness of his accomplishments. Here is a man who has reached the pinnacle of legal practice, earned national honors including OFR and CFR,been awarded multiple honorary doctorates (LL.D, D.Litt), accumulated fellowships across premier legal institutions, Lead Counsel to Presidents, Governors, and Institutions that shaped national jurisprudence, yet he moves among people with the gentleness of a lion and the sincerity of a man of God.

He is profoundly kind-hearted, giving privately and generously to the needy, the downtrodden, Bar institutions, schools, churches, communities, and causes that advance humanity. Unlike many, he does not blow the trumpet of his philanthropy; he lives it.

As a mentor, he has raised an army of lawyers, many now giants in their own right. His chambers are a cathedral of learning, where he imparts knowledge not only through instruction but through example, discipline, faith, meticulous preparation, respect for the Bench, and an unyielding devotion to justice.

In the words he often repeats: “A lawyer must be painstaking, God-fearing, steadfast, hardworking, honest, creative and above all, he must always seek the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.” This is not a mere rhetoric. It is his life philosophy.

The National Conscience and Intellectual Statesman

Chief Olanipekun has spent a lifetime speaking truth to power, offering nation-building counsel, and writing extensively on legal and national issues with the precision of a scholar and the conviction of a patriot. As the President of the Nigerian Bar Association in 2003, he led the Bar to walked out on a sitting President of Nigeria over disagreement on the supremacy of the Rule of Law above National Perceived Security. He also led a street protest of lawyers in Onitsha in 2002 over the grunsome murder of Barnabas Igwe of the Ontisha branch of the NBA and his wife Agnes Igwe by assilants suspected to be acting on behalf of the state. His essays, lectures, interviews, and keynote speeches are widely regarded as authoritative texts on constitutionalism, governance, judicial reform, and ethics.

He is, unmistakably, one of Nigeria’s foremost elder statesmen. With a heart that beats for justice and a mind sharpened by decades of professionalism, he has become a stabilizing figure one to whom the nation naturally turns in moments of legal crisis or national introspection.

He advocates tirelessly for the independence of the judiciary,the sanctity of the constitution, the preservation of human rights, the restructuring of governance systems, and the moral rejuvenation of society.

His voice is weighty not merely because of his status, but because it is consistent, principled, and patriotic. In every position he has held, whether in national councils, or the legal profession he has brought dignity, clarity, and courageous leadership. At 74, he stands as one of Nigeria’s greatest living public intellectuals.

Celebrating a Complete Man

Chief Wole Olanipekun’s greatness would be incomplete without acknowledging his equally remarkable family life. He is blessed with his beloved wife, Erelu Omolara Olanipekun, a woman of grace and strength, and together they have raised four accomplished children two of whom are Senior Advocates of Nigeria and enjoy the joy of grandchildren. His home is a place of warmth, laughter, and faith, a quiet sanctuary that mirrors the beauty of his character.

As we celebrate Chief Wole Olanipekun, CFR, SAN, Life Bencher, we honour a man whose life harmonizes brilliance with humility, strength with compassion, and distinction with service.

He has built an extraordinary legal career without losing the simplicity that endears him to all who encounter him. His generosity flows quietly but consistently, touching countless lives. His faith guides him, yet never blinds him to the beauty of other traditions; and his commitment to family remains one of his most defining virtues. In every respect, professional, spiritual, communal, and personal, he embodies the rare completeness that transforms a man into a pillar, an institution, and an inspiration.

Today, we salute not only his achievements but the depth of character that has sustained them for nearly five decades.

We honor, the advocate extraordinaire, whose footsteps echo through Nigeria’s legal history, the institution builder, whose leadership has elevated universities and professional bodies, the humanitarian, whose generosity uplifts countless lives and the mentor, whose guidance continues to light the path for generations

Happy 74th Birthday, Chief Wole Olanipekun, CFR, SAN, Life Bencher! May your days continue to shine with grace, may your legacy remain evergreen and may Nigeria continue to be blessed by the light of your unique personae.

Muritala O. Abdul-Rasheed, SAN, Ph.D aka Murray, is a former National Publicity Secretary, Nigerian Bar Association; Mutalubi Ojo Adebayo, SAN, is a former Attorney General of Oyo State.

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