Augustine Alegeh, SAN, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has withdrawn his suit against Chief Adeboyega Solomon Awomolo, SAN, the Chairman of the Body of Benchers (BoB). The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, was struck out by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa following the submission of Kelechi Obi, SAN, and Kelechi Onwuegbuchulem, who sought to discontinue the action.
The dispute between the two senior lawyers appears to have originated from Alegeh’s refusal to recognize Awomolo as a past president of the NBA during Alegeh’s tenure from 2014 to 2016. Awomolo had claimed that he should be recognized due to his role as Chairman of the Committee of Chairmen during an interregnum in the NBA in 1991. However, after consulting with past presidents and Bar leaders, Alegeh found that Awomolo was not a chairman of any NBA branch at the time.
The issue resurfaced during the 2020 NBA presidential elections when Awomolo authored a letter stating that the presidency should be reserved exclusively for Senior Advocates of Nigeria. After Olumide Akpata’s victory, Awomolo approached Alegeh to convince Akpata to recognize him as a past president, claiming his letter was the “masterstroke” that secured Akpata’s win. Alegeh declined, citing the same reasons he refused during his own tenure.
In the suit, Alegeh alleged that Awomolo had unilaterally and unlawfully removed him as Chairman of the Body of Benchers’ Appointment Committee before the expiration of his three-year term. Alegeh claimed that Awomolo stated he was not bound by the Body of Benchers’ regulations and that his decisions as Chairman could not be challenged.
Alegeh further alleged that Awomolo had been accused of forgery, criminal misrepresentation, impersonation, and fraud by the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN), which he claimed had brought disrepute to the office of the Chairman of the Body of Benchers.
The suit also revealed that Awomolo had allegedly created an “Executive Committee” for the Body of Benchers outside the contemplation of the Benchers’ Regulations, which had approved all the projects and programs of his administration.
Prior to the withdrawal of the suit, a Federal High Court in Lagos had made an interim order restraining Awomolo from removing Alegeh or interfering with his duties as Chairman of the Body of Benchers’ Appointment Committee during his tenure from March 28, 2024, to March 27, 2027.
With the suit now withdrawn, it remains to be seen if the two senior lawyers have resolved their differences or if further developments will arise from this matter.