July 27, (THEWILL) – The outgoing president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata, was conspicuously absent at the meeting of the Body of Benchers (BOB), which took place on Tuesday.
The meeting which held at the Body of Benchers Complex, Jabi, Abuja, was well attended by key stakeholders in the legal profession, including the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kayode Ariwoola, past CJNs – Justice Mahmud Mohammed and Justice Walter Onnoghen.
Also in attendance was Justice Mary Odili (Rtd), who doubles as the Vice-Chairman of the Body of Benchers.
Past presidents of the NBA, including Paul Usoro (SAN); O. C. J. Okocha (SAN); J.B. Daudu (SAN); Okey Wali (SAN) and A.B Mahmud (SAN), amongst several others leaders of the legal profession, while some participated virtually.
Akpata, who by virtue of his office, is a member of the BOB and the outgoing president of the NBA, failed to attend the meeting.
His absence at the meeting may not be unconnected to his request that the BOB Chairman, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), step down over a petition against a lawyer in Olanipekun’s firm over gross misconduct bothering on influence peddling which violates the law guiding the legal profession in Nigeria.
Olanipekun had earlier stated that he could not understand why Akpata would write him a letter requesting him to step down as Chairman of BoB and circulate same document on social media without serving him a copy more than 24 hours after same had been released to the public.
“As we talk, I am yet to get a copy of the letter. People have been calling me, but I can’t react to a document that I have not seen”, he stressed.
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