Mr. Kazeem O. Olaniyan, the Head of the Department of
Jurisprudence and International Law, Faculty of Law, University of
Ibadan, has joined issues with a Law School teacher, Mr. Sylvester
Udemezue (aka Udems), over the later’s criticism of Southwest
Lawyers Forum and its adopted candidate, Mr. Dele Adesina (SAN).
The
Nation Reports[1]
Udemezue had in his article entitled: “NBA
2020 Elections: 13 Reasons Why Adoption by Tribal Groups Is Unsafe
for the Health and Progress of the Nigerian Bar
Association”[2] condemned
the adoption of Adesina (SAN) by the Yoruba lawyers body.
Adoption of candidate by the Group whose turn it is to produce
the next president of the NBA has become a tradition. But if it
becomes difficult to adopt a single candidate, all contestants from
a particular region are allowed to go and contest the election.
The following former NBA presidents: Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN),
Oluwarotimi Akeredolu ( SAN), Joseph Bodunrin Daudu (SAN), and Okey
Wali (SAN) were all beneficiaries of Adoption by regional groups in
the past. Even in the last election, Chief Arthur Obi Okafor (SAN)
was adopted by the Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) but as God will have it,
he could not win the election current NBA president.
In his 13 reasons why adoption by tribal groups is unsafe for
the health and progress of the Nigerian Bar Association. Udemezue
stated:
“Adoption is inferior to Article 9 & Part 2.1(d) of the 2nd
schedule to the NBA Constitution by virtue of which, in 2020, any
lawyer that hails from the core Southwest is entitled to aspire to
become the president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in
2020.
“Only parties to a tribal adoption know the secret terms and
conditions of such an adoption there always are. So, electing the
adopted lawyer means mortgaging the interests of the entire NBA
membership who would then be forced to kowtow, albeit indirectly
through the leadership (president), to such adoption conditions
which may not be (are usually not) in the best interests of the NBA
as a whole. It is better to elect a person untainted by such
parochial, unpopular and retrogressive concept of tribal
adoption.
“Adoption by tribal groups only helps to further divide rather
than unite NBA members. The adopted person is viewed more as a
product of ethnicity and sectional, parochial interests.
“NBA deserves to be ruled by a lawyer who is elected by an
overwhelming majority of eligible Nigerian lawyers based on broad
acceptance and genuine leadership credentials, and not based on any
tribal ‘adoption’ ”.
“The concept of Rotational Presidency in the NBA prescribes that
all lawyers in Nigeria should elect by universal suffrage one
lawyer from the NBA Zone whose turn it is to produce the NBA
President. Rotation does not require any tribal group to be the one
to adopt, choose or present a candidate to NBA members, for
sheepish endorsement.
“ If we elect a person “adopted” by a tribal group as NBA
president, the tendency is that on assumption of office, he would
most likely kowtow to ethnic tunes, parochial & tribal sentiments,
trying to please the tribal adoptors, instead of detachedly facing
the task of NBA leadership with the broad, free and independent
mind required to deliver good governance.
“Tribal adoption hinders inclusiveness; an NBA president that
emerges through adoption would be a leader for some and not for
all. A true NBA president must adopt all-inclusiveness as his/her
motto, carrying along all lawyers from all parts of the country,
and thus creating an environment in which all lawyers from all
sections feel empowered to express their opinions freely within the
larger group. Diversity of thinking is critical to effective
collaboration, management and progress.
“An NBA president foisted on lawyers from all the 36 states plus
Abuja, by a purported adoption by some members of a tribal group
(the scope of whose membership does not extend beyond six states)
would not be free to observe essentials of broad-based good
governance.
“Electing a lawyer purportedly adopted by a tribal association
would mean that ‘universal suffrage is now meaningless’ since a
tribal group is now the one imposing its decision on the entire
membership of the NBA. Is it not better to allow all eligible
lawyers from the relevant portion of the NBA Zone to come out as
candidates, and then let all lawyers elect whomsoever they feel is
the most competent?
“An NBA president, who is a product of tribal “adoption” may not
be free, on assumption of office, to declare, as Marty Rubin once
did: ‘I pledge allegiance to Nothing and No one but only to the
freedom for which it stands?’
“I read a comment where someone said a certain aspirant to the
NBA Presidency in 2020, had in the past come out a couple of times,
to contest the same position, but was prevailed upon to step aside
for some other aspirants; and that the lawyer who had been
“stepping aside” for others should be allowed to go this time,
since “he had made enough sacrifice in the past by so “stepping
down” for others.”
‘’With due respect, NBA is not a private property of that
particular lawyer. The mere fact that anyone had stepped down in
the past, to pave way for another lawyer to get elected, is not any
good reasons to insist that such a person must be the NBA president
now? Whatever agreement or secret deal such an individual
(aspirant) purportedly had at that time, with those in whose
interest he had stepped down, is not binding on the present
generation of NBA presidential aspirants.
“Continued existence, influence of such tribal groups (through
“adoption”) is one major reason genuine unity and progress have
eluded the NBA for a long time now. I therefore humbly implore
lawyers to ignore any story of adoption by any tribal group or
branch, by whatever name called, and to go all out in July 2020 to
elect an NBA president of core Southwest extraction in line with
Article 9 and Part 2.1 (d) of the Second Schedule to the NBA
Constitution” Udemezue stated.
In his response, Olaniyan urged Udemezue to spend a little time
more productively in preparing his lecture notes at the Nigerian
Law School for the students he professes to be lecturing, rather
than focusing 99 per cent of his time on the adoption by the
members and leaders of Egbe Amofin Oodua, the Forum of Southwest
Lawyers, a group which he does not belong to in the first place
He said: “A critical examination of his hatched job reveals no
sense of logical reasoning other than a deliberate attempt to
scandalise the members and leaders of Egbe Amofin and disparage the
candidate so adopted while extolling the virtues of his preferred
candidate. His write-ups, including this particular one, lack
objectivity and fair-mindedness. May be Sylvester is not aware that
in Jurisprudential thought and logic, not all sound arguments are
logical but all logical arguments are sound. His argument, at best,
has committed what is known by the logicians
as”argumentum-ad-verecudian“.
“Few days ago, Udemezue wrote in another article entitled: “The
content of my support during NBA elections’’, after a careful
thought, deep analysis and in line with the principles I hold dear,
I have chosen to not only support but to diligently and vigorously
canvass support for Babatunde Ajibade (SAN) to become the next
president.
‘’While I work very hard and pray that Ajibade should win
because I think he is the best among equals, I have prepared my
mind that whoever wins is the will of God,” Udemezue stated
Olaniyan stated that nobody challenged Udemezue then because he
was trying to sell his highly parochial and perjured subjective
mind to his fellow travellers. But to have continued to display,
rather arrogantly, to take a swipe at our respected leader, at
least as a free born, fully bred Yoruba person, such arrogance is
viewed as a diarrhea of the mouth of a stupendous ignoramus.
“Let nobody be deceived about his subjectivity and he should
allow that will of God to prevail. If he indeed meant what he said,
why did he again decide to make series of damaging and disparaging
remarks about the ever respected.’’
Mr. Kazeem O. Olaniyan, the Head of the Department of
Jurisprudence and International Law, Faculty of Law, University of
Ibadan, has joined issues with a Law School teacher, Mr. Sylvester
Udemezue (aka Udems), over the later’s criticism of Southwest
Lawyers Forum and its adopted candidate, Mr. Dele Adesina (SAN).
The
Nation Reports[1]
Udemezue had in his article entitled: “NBA
2020 Elections: 13 Reasons Why Adoption by Tribal Groups Is Unsafe
for the Health and Progress of the Nigerian Bar
Association”[2] condemned
the adoption of Adesina (SAN) by the Yoruba lawyers body.
Adoption of candidate by the Group whose turn it is to produce
the next president of the NBA has become a tradition. But if it
becomes difficult to adopt a single candidate, all contestants from
a particular region are allowed to go and contest the election.
The following former NBA presidents: Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN),
Oluwarotimi Akeredolu ( SAN), Joseph Bodunrin Daudu (SAN), and Okey
Wali (SAN) were all beneficiaries of Adoption by regional groups in
the past. Even in the last election, Chief Arthur Obi Okafor (SAN)
was adopted by the Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) but as God will have it,
he could not win the election current NBA president.
In his 13 reasons why adoption by tribal groups is unsafe for
the health and progress of the Nigerian Bar Association. Udemezue
stated:
“Adoption is inferior to Article 9 & Part 2.1(d) of the 2nd
schedule to the NBA Constitution by virtue of which, in 2020, any
lawyer that hails from the core Southwest is entitled to aspire to
become the president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in
2020.
“Only parties to a tribal adoption know the secret terms and
conditions of such an adoption there always are. So, electing the
adopted lawyer means mortgaging the interests of the entire NBA
membership who would then be forced to kowtow, albeit indirectly
through the leadership (president), to such adoption conditions
which may not be (are usually not) in the best interests of the NBA
as a whole. It is better to elect a person untainted by such
parochial, unpopular and retrogressive concept of tribal
adoption.
“Adoption by tribal groups only helps to further divide rather
than unite NBA members. The adopted person is viewed more as a
product of ethnicity and sectional, parochial interests.
“NBA deserves to be ruled by a lawyer who is elected by an
overwhelming majority of eligible Nigerian lawyers based on broad
acceptance and genuine leadership credentials, and not based on any
tribal ‘adoption’ ”.
“The concept of Rotational Presidency in the NBA prescribes that
all lawyers in Nigeria should elect by universal suffrage one
lawyer from the NBA Zone whose turn it is to produce the NBA
President. Rotation does not require any tribal group to be the one
to adopt, choose or present a candidate to NBA members, for
sheepish endorsement.
“ If we elect a person “adopted” by a tribal group as NBA
president, the tendency is that on assumption of office, he would
most likely kowtow to ethnic tunes, parochial & tribal sentiments,
trying to please the tribal adoptors, instead of detachedly facing
the task of NBA leadership with the broad, free and independent
mind required to deliver good governance.
“Tribal adoption hinders inclusiveness; an NBA president that
emerges through adoption would be a leader for some and not for
all. A true NBA president must adopt all-inclusiveness as his/her
motto, carrying along all lawyers from all parts of the country,
and thus creating an environment in which all lawyers from all
sections feel empowered to express their opinions freely within the
larger group. Diversity of thinking is critical to effective
collaboration, management and progress.
“An NBA president foisted on lawyers from all the 36 states plus
Abuja, by a purported adoption by some members of a tribal group
(the scope of whose membership does not extend beyond six states)
would not be free to observe essentials of broad-based good
governance.
“Electing a lawyer purportedly adopted by a tribal association
would mean that ‘universal suffrage is now meaningless’ since a
tribal group is now the one imposing its decision on the entire
membership of the NBA. Is it not better to allow all eligible
lawyers from the relevant portion of the NBA Zone to come out as
candidates, and then let all lawyers elect whomsoever they feel is
the most competent?
“An NBA president, who is a product of tribal “adoption” may not
be free, on assumption of office, to declare, as Marty Rubin once
did: ‘I pledge allegiance to Nothing and No one but only to the
freedom for which it stands?’
“I read a comment where someone said a certain aspirant to the
NBA Presidency in 2020, had in the past come out a couple of times,
to contest the same position, but was prevailed upon to step aside
for some other aspirants; and that the lawyer who had been
“stepping aside” for others should be allowed to go this time,
since “he had made enough sacrifice in the past by so “stepping
down” for others.”
‘’With due respect, NBA is not a private property of that
particular lawyer. The mere fact that anyone had stepped down in
the past, to pave way for another lawyer to get elected, is not any
good reasons to insist that such a person must be the NBA president
now? Whatever agreement or secret deal such an individual
(aspirant) purportedly had at that time, with those in whose
interest he had stepped down, is not binding on the present
generation of NBA presidential aspirants.
“Continued existence, influence of such tribal groups (through
“adoption”) is one major reason genuine unity and progress have
eluded the NBA for a long time now. I therefore humbly implore
lawyers to ignore any story of adoption by any tribal group or
branch, by whatever name called, and to go all out in July 2020 to
elect an NBA president of core Southwest extraction in line with
Article 9 and Part 2.1 (d) of the Second Schedule to the NBA
Constitution” Udemezue stated.
In his response, Olaniyan urged Udemezue to spend a little time
more productively in preparing his lecture notes at the Nigerian
Law School for the students he professes to be lecturing, rather
than focusing 99 per cent of his time on the adoption by the
members and leaders of Egbe Amofin Oodua, the Forum of Southwest
Lawyers, a group which he does not belong to in the first place
He said: “A critical examination of his hatched job reveals no
sense of logical reasoning other than a deliberate attempt to
scandalise the members and leaders of Egbe Amofin and disparage the
candidate so adopted while extolling the virtues of his preferred
candidate. His write-ups, including this particular one, lack
objectivity and fair-mindedness. May be Sylvester is not aware that
in Jurisprudential thought and logic, not all sound arguments are
logical but all logical arguments are sound. His argument, at best,
has committed what is known by the logicians
as”argumentum-ad-verecudian“.
“Few days ago, Udemezue wrote in another article entitled: “The
content of my support during NBA elections’’, after a careful
thought, deep analysis and in line with the principles I hold dear,
I have chosen to not only support but to diligently and vigorously
canvass support for Babatunde Ajibade (SAN) to become the next
president.
‘’While I work very hard and pray that Ajibade should win
because I think he is the best among equals, I have prepared my
mind that whoever wins is the will of God,” Udemezue stated
Olaniyan stated that nobody challenged Udemezue then because he
was trying to sell his highly parochial and perjured subjective
mind to his fellow travellers. But to have continued to display,
rather arrogantly, to take a swipe at our respected leader, at
least as a free born, fully bred Yoruba person, such arrogance is
viewed as a diarrhea of the mouth of a stupendous ignoramus.
“Let nobody be deceived about his subjectivity and he should
allow that will of God to prevail. If he indeed meant what he said,
why did he again decide to make series of damaging and disparaging
remarks about the ever respected.’’