The ongoing tussle between the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). Yakubu Maikyau, SAN and the immediate past Attorney General of Abia State, Chief Uche Ihediwa, SAN has taken a new twist.
The personal tussle between the two senior advocates emanated from divergent personal contributions made at the International Bar Association Conference in Paris, France.
President of the NBA, for yet unclear reasons, had petitioned the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee, LPPC, of which he is a member against Chief Ihediwa, SAN.
At the preliminary sitting of the committee, the issue of LPPC membership of the NBA president and an earlier suit filed by Chief Uche Ihediwa, SAN at the Ukwa Division of the Abia State High Court against the NBA and Maikyau were raised and canvassed.
In a sudden twist after the preliminary hearing, the petitioner, Chief Ihediwa on the advice of his counsel had on Friday, June 8, 2024, filed a Notice of Discontinuance of the matter with a view to paving the way for the Committee to hear and determine the petition against him on its merit.
Some lawyers have expressed their surprise that an innocuous contribution by the senior counsel, which comments were corroborated by the immediate past president of the NBA, Olumide Apata, could lead to disciplinary inquisition against Chief Ihediwa.
The lawyers further stated that this scenario could deter lawyers from attending future international conferences and airing their views on issues concerning the administration of justice in the country, for the fear that the current travails of Chief Ihediwa could befall them.
