•Publication chronicles landmark instances, together with election disputes involving 4 successive presidents
Wale Igbintade
President Bola Tinubu will on November 19 unveil a six-volume authorized compendium documenting landmark instances dealt with by famend Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Wole Olanipekun, throughout his 50-year profession in authorized observe, together with his engagements as lead counsel to 4 successive Nigerian presidents in election disputes since 2007.
Titled Wole Olanipekun Through the Cases, the publication examines a number of the most vital instances dealt with by the senior lawyer since his name to the Nigerian Bar in 1976, highlighting his contributions to the event of Nigerian regulation and jurisprudence.
The unveiling, scheduled to happen underneath the auspices of the WOC Justice Summit, will maintain a day after Olanipekun’s seventy fifth birthday.
Born on November 18, 1951, Olanipekun was referred to as to the Nigerian Bar in 1976 and attained the distinguished rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in July 1991, shortly earlier than his fortieth birthday.
He was appointed Attorney-General of the previous Ondo State in 1992 and subsequently grew to become President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in 2002.
One of the notable facets of his distinguished profession to be examined in the publication is his successive engagements as lead counsel to 4 Nigerian presidents in defending authorized challenges to their elections since 2007.
These instances mirror his involvement in a number of the nation’s most consequential electoral and constitutional disputes, lots of which have formed the interpretation of electoral legal guidelines, constitutional provisions and the administration of electoral justice in Nigeria.
The six-volume compendium presents an in depth examination of Olanipekun’s authorized profession by commentaries on landmark instances, illustrating the breadth of his courtroom advocacy {and professional} engagements.
The publication options forewords by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.
Its contributors embody retired judicial officers, authorized students, senior advocates and different distinguished authorized practitioners from throughout the nation, who study the authorized significance and broader implications of the instances dealt with by Olanipekun.
Beyond his courtroom engagements, Olanipekun has occupied a number of distinguished positions inside the authorized occupation and contributed to the event of key authorized establishments.
He served as Chairman of the Body of Benchers between 2022 and 2023, having beforehand led the NBA as president.
He can also be actively concerned in college administration and authorized training.
Currently, he’s the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the University of Lagos, his alma mater, having beforehand served in comparable capacities on the University of Ibadan and Ajayi Crowther University.
He additionally serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Ajayi Crowther University and Chancellor of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology in his hometown of Ikere-Ekiti.
The presidential unveiling will type a part of the actions of the WOC Justice Summit, an initiative of Wole Olanipekun & Co. designed to deliver collectively thought leaders and key stakeholders to deliberate on points affecting the administration of justice and the event of the authorized sector.
This yr’s summit is themed: “From Precedent to Possibility: The Lawyer’s Role in Shaping the Next Fifty Years of Justice, Democracy and Public Trust.”
The occasion is anticipated to appeal to distinguished figures from the authorized occupation, authorities, politics, enterprise and different sectors of the economic system.
Beyond celebrating Olanipekun’s skilled milestones, the summit will present a platform for discussions on the function of legal professionals in strengthening democratic establishments, advancing the rule of regulation, restoring public confidence in the justice system and shaping the way forward for Nigeria’s authorized framework.
It may also provide a chance to mirror on Olanipekun’s five-decade journey in the authorized occupation and the importance of his contributions to Nigerian jurisprudence, as documented in the six-volume publication.
Further particulars relating to the summit, together with the total programme and taking part personalities, are anticipated to be introduced forward of the occasion.
