Ahead of the 2026 turn of the six western states in Yorubaland, including, Edo and Delta, to present the next President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), have urged their members to vote for any candidate from Osun state as it will by then be the turn of Oyo/Osun block.
The Eastern Forum of the association is preparing to present the next president to succeed the incumbent, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), who is from the Northern Forum of the Bar and winding up his 2-year tenure in July 2024.
The two legal luminaries gave the advice on Thursday at the NBA Oyo branch's One Day Symposium and Bar Dinner organized by the Jide Olanipekun led executive, held at Labamba Hotel in Oyo town, with the theme: "The Judiciary as the last hope of common man: A myth or reality...?"
At the symposium, the former NBA President, Chief Olanipekun was the Chairman, Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN) and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF), Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, were among eminent personalities honoured with awards by the Oyo branch of the association for their enviable contributions and support for the welfare and development of the members.
Olanipekun and Akintola who preached fairness and equity among the members in the old Western region said Edo and Delta block had produced candidates in 2020 and 2014 and won against the South West candidates because they failed to present a unanimous candidate.
Justifying why Osun should be voted in 2026, Chief Akintola said: We had a meeting of Egbe Amofin comprising the six states of the South West including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo.
In order that there could be peace and tranquility as is done in the Judiciary where they elevate our judges based on block arrangement, by the time the presidency of the Bar comes to Yoruba's turn, Oyo and Osun are the next to present candidates.
And we said, between Oyo and Osun, our members should give preference to Osun.
The reason is that in Ekiti and Ondo, our two leaders (Chief Wole Olanipekun and late Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN's) have been President at one time or the other.
In Oyo and Osun, Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN) of late memory who hailed from Ibadan, did it.
And he was the only one who has been NBA President in that block. Osun has never tasted it.
"In Lagos and Ogun block, eight persons have been on that seat.
Fair is fair; it is only Osun that has not produced an NBA President.
I am from Oyo, but I will not deceive you, and I will not deprive you of your tight.
We had done it before, but Osun has not.
We are elderly and so we cannot create problems for you younger ones.
Talk to yourselves and agree that it is the turn of the Osun people.
Tell your colleagues from Ondo and Ekiti states that it is the turn of Osun.
We are all one.
From Saare to Ogun State, we are all children of Alaafin and so we need to act in unity.
Let us act as Omoluabi that we are.
That is our position among the Egbe Amofin in Yorubaland," Akintola stressed.
Chief Olanipekun corroborated Akintola's position that it is the turn of Osun members, saying that "in Ekiti and Ondo, it would have even been three persons from that block if Dele Adesina, whom we sponsored, had won.
Don't let us shy away from the truth.
Don't run away from the truth.
That is the essence of humanity.
It is the acid test.
We took that decision.
Leadership is about being frank, being honest; standing by the truth.
Two years is around the corner.
Let there be unity in Yorubaland.
It was in my house that everybody said let it be Akeredolu, and nobody contested against him.
If Yoruba people have identified somebody, let it be.
It is the turn of Osun/Oyo.
So, let it be", Chief Olanipekun said.
The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Babatunde Oni (SAN), with other discussants including the Chairman of the Oyo Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Ademola Babalola also presenting the Fourth Estate of the Realm's perspective to the theme.
The Oyo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Abiodun Aikomo in his remarks emphasized that there are institutional, structural and foundational challenges facing the judiciary and even other arms of government and urged all hands to be on deck to sanitize the system by making it work, to ensure an egalitarian and just society".
Also in attendance were;
The Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Asaba Division, Justice Misitura Bolaji-Yusuf;
The Chief Judge of Oyo state, Justice Iyabo Yerima, who was ably represented by Justice M. O. Ishola;
Retired Justice O. I. Aiki;
Prof. Gaius Okwezuzu;
Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN),
The former Attorney General of Kogi state (Prince Ben Ikani),
The newly sworn-in Chairman of the Ibadan NBA branch, Ibrahim Lawal;
Bishop Ayo Ladigbolu,
Dr. Kunle Ogunsola,
Islamic and Christian clerics,
The Onifiditi of Fiditi, Oba Sakiru Oyelere;
The Alaawe of Awe, Oba Abiola Taiwo, among several others.
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