NBA carpets S’Court’s imposition of fines on Babalola, Olanipekun
The Ado Ekiti chapter of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) has described as a grave error, the imposition of fines on Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) and Wole Olanipekun (SAN) by the Supreme Court for seeking the review of the judgement disqualifying the All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy governorship candidate, Degi Biobarakuma-Eremionye from Bayelsa state governorship election.
The branch Chairman, Olakanmi Falade, said the two eminent legal icons, have not committed any infraction or professional misconduct to warrant such a stringent punitive action from the apex court.
Babalola and Olanipekun, who stood for the disqualified APC governor -elect in Bayelsa, David Lyon and Degi respectively, were slammed with N60 million fine for seeking the review on a matter that had been adjudicated upon by the highest court.
In a statement in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, Falade said the affected lawyers have contributed more than anyone else to the growth of the legal profession and should not have been treated with scorn and disdain by the Supreme Court’s justices.
He said: “As much as the judiciary should be free, the bar too must not be gagged with unwarranted fines. Without an independent bar, there is no independent judiciary and how do we enrich our jurisprudence if lawyers are not free to challenge court decisions, which they perceive to be obviously wrong in contents, laws and facts.
“It salutes the courage of Afe Babalola (SAN) and Wole Olanipekun (SAN), who have done more than any living lawyers in Nigeria to enrich our jurisprudence by seeking review of that judgement.
“They have been vindicated by the refusal of the Supreme Court to award any cost in the latter case of Imo state. It was a grave error on the part of the Supreme Court and the sooner it realizes this gap and reverses itself.
“The way courts are awarding costs against lawyers just because they question their reasoning is a great harm to the ever-moving wheel of justice, it represents act of intimidation.”
The NBA boss added that if the judiciary is to deliver justice as expected, then National Judicial Council (NJC) should as a matter of urgency advocate for the independence of the judiciary.
