The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has petitioned the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) over a remark by Kalu Kalu against Peter Lifu, a judge of the Federal High Court.
Kalu, a lawyer affiliated with Atiku Abubakar and the
African Democratic Congress (ADC), had described Lifu as a “coconut judge” who
doesn’t read while discussing the ADC judgment on Channels Television’s
Politics Today.
The lawyer, however, withdrew the remark after Seun
Okinbaloye, host of Politics Today, asked him to.
The judgment, delivered on November 5, invalidated the David
Mark-led leadership of the party and actions taken under it.
During the interview, Kalu argued that the ruling did not
invalidate the presidential candidacy of Atiku Abubakar or the nominations of
other ADC candidates.
He argued that the court only nullified actions taken by the
Mark-led leadership from July 29, 2025, insisting that the judgment did not
expressly invalidate the party’s candidates.
Reacting to Kalu’s comments about the judge in a statement
on Friday, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, NBA president, said disagreement with
judicial decisions does not justify personal attacks.
“A lawyer’s disagreement with a judicial decision, however
strongly held, cannot excuse personal abuse of the judge who delivered it.
Neither the intensity of a political controversy nor the platform on which a
lawyer speaks relieves that lawyer of professional responsibility,” the NBA
president said.
“Lawyers have every right to examine judgments, challenge
their reasoning and expose errors. Indeed, rigorous criticism contributes to
the development of the law and the administration of justice.
“But personal insults do nothing to establish that a
judgment is wrong. They offer the public no legal analysis and provide no
remedy for an aggrieved litigant. Instead, they diminish the quality of public
debate and bring our profession into disrepute.”
She also cited the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal
Practitioners, 2023, which require lawyers to maintain high standards of
professional conduct and treat courts with respect, dignity and honour.
Badejo-Okusanya said the rules also provide for complaints
against judicial officers to be submitted to the appropriate authorities.
She said the public is entitled to expect lawyers discussing
judgments to explain the issues, the reasoning behind the decisions and the
remedies available to aggrieved litigants.
“These obligations cannot be put aside when a lawyer steps
into a television studio,” Badejo-Okusanya added.
“Our professional standing gives our words particular
weight. Members of the public are entitled to expect that a lawyer discussing a
judgment will help them understand the issues, the reasoning and the available
remedies.
“That standing carries a responsibility to exercise judgment
and restraint, especially when passions are high.”
The NBA president said she had forwarded a formal petition,
alongside the relevant broadcast material, to the LPDC for consideration.
She, however, said the petition did not amount to a finding
of professional misconduct against Kalu.
“Mr Kalu Kalu will be entitled to respond. Whether
professional misconduct has occurred and what sanction, if any, is appropriate
will be matters for the Committee to determine,” she said.
“The Bar must be able to demand accountability from the
Bench and insist on discipline within its own ranks. Our credibility depends on
our willingness to do both.
“We can speak firmly, disagree profoundly and challenge
judicial decisions with all the force that the law permits. But we must also
remember that the manner in which we do so teaches the public something about
the profession we represent.”
ADC ACCUSES NBA OF DOUBLE STANDARD
The ADC has accused the NBA of double standard over its
decision to petition Kalu, questioning why the association did not raise
similar concerns when the court of appeal criticised Lifu in an earlier case.
In a statement on Saturday, Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC national
publicity secretary, warned the NBA against being drawn into what the party
described as a political campaign against the opposition.
“The NBA is not a political party. It must, therefore, not
be seen to be behaving like a member of a political coalition against the
opposition,” Abdullahi said.
“What has Kalu Kalu said about Justice Peter Lifu that the
court of appeal has not already said?
“We agree that lawyers must exercise restraint. But there is
no respectful way to address evil, and the NBA cannot teach us one.”
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