By our Reporter
Barrister Olumide Apkata,Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Chairman has asked that Wole Olanipekun, a former president of the association, step down from his current position as the chair of the Body of Benchers, a top regulatory body of Nigeria’s legal profession.
The NBA’s demand followed its petition to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) seeking the sanction of a partner in Mr Olanipekun’s law firm, Adekunbi Ogunde, over an allegation of professional misconduct.
The association also requests the LPDC to determine possible culpability of Mr Olanipekun and other partners of the law firm in the action, although the chambers had distanced themselves from Ms Ogunde’s conduct.
Ms Ogunde was caught soliciting for briefs for her law firm in a leaked letter she purportedly wrote on behalf of the law firm in June in alleged violation of the professional code of conduct for lawyers.
In what is widely seen as a case of influence peddling, Ms Ogunde informed the prospective client, Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited, that the presence of Mr Olanipekun, a senior advocate and lead partner of the law firm, in a case “will significantly switch things in favour of Sapiem”.
Ms Ogunde had subsequently apologised for her action, adding that she wrote the letter without the authority of the law firm or knowledge of Mr Olanipekun.
The law firm had also issued a disclaimer saying Ms Ogunde was on her own.
City Lawyer Magazine reports that the NBA, in a petition filed on July 19, urged the LPDC, the disciplinary body established by law to deal with lawyers’ acts of misconduct, “to immediately commence the disciplinary process and prosecute ADEKUNBI OGUNDE Esq. for the violation of the sacred provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct, particularly Rule 1 thereof.”
In the petition signed by the 1st Vice President of the NBA, John Aikpokpo-Martins, the association also urged the LPDC to “consider whether the partners of the firm of Wole Olanipekun & Co. are not liable to be disciplined by this august body seeing that the Respondent has the ostensible authority to act as a partner, and indeed acted for and on behalf of the said firm.”
Following the petition, it was learnt that the NBA, in a letter signed by its president, Olumide Akpata, asked Mr Olanipekun to step down from his position as the Body of Bencher’s chairman given his association with Ms Ogunde.
In the letter addressed to Mr Olanipekun, the NBA urged him “to recuse yourself from chairmanship of the BOB henceforth and to allow for the emplacement of an interim leadership of the BOB, in order to enable the LPDC carry out this particular assignment, amongst others, without coming under an undue suspicion of impartiality.”