By Chisom Amadi, Esq

This morning, I read an article with the news of a petition to the Electoral Committee of the NBA filed by Mr. Kayode Bell aka Kay Bello against Mr. YC Maikyau SAN.

While I don’t hold brief for either party, I was in Law School with Mr. Bello.
Kayode Bello aka Kay Bello is an agitator, a unionist and a rebel without a cause. Kayode drew polular attention in 2017 when he first claimed that the Management of Nigerian Law School had conspired to frustrate his being called to Bar.

Several megabytes have been dedicated to reporting Mr. Bello’s battle with the Nigerian Law School- and how he has petitioned everything and everyone closely or remotely linked to the Nigerian Law School and the Council of Legal Education. From Porters to the DG, nobody has been spared, not even his own lawyers.

It is therefore no surprise to read that Mr. Bello petitioned YC to the ECNBA- everybody must eat the breakfast Kayode is serving.

It is undeniably clear that Mr. Bello’s chief grouse against Mr. YC Maikyau SAN is based on the learned Silk’s representation of the Management of the Council of Legal Education. Bello must be very sour against the learned Silk, especially as his law suit against the NLS has been dismissed.

The fact that this petition arose from YC’s representation of NLS is quite interesting and even honorable. At least the petition against YC Maikyau SAN isn’t for hijacking clients from other lawyers, duping clients or stealing briefs from young lawyers.

In the final analysis, saint or sinner, menace or martyr, Kayode is definitely a controversial and polarising figure who thrives in chaos- after all Mr. Bello assaulted a female colleague in the law school incident that led to his expulsion.

Mr. YC Maikyau SAN fondly known as YC is a gentleman per excellence. He is the current Chairman of the NBA Welfare Committee, a Committee that has done so much for the welfare of all Lawyers, especially young lawyers and lawyers with disabilities. His policies under the Olumide Akpata administration have ranged from professional development to Lawyers health. Under his watch, the Welfare Committee provided access to Law Pavilion for young lawyers. He is also championing the national adoption of Health Insurance Scheme for Lawyers and their families in partnership with the NHIS under which they sponsored several young lawyers and lawyers living with disabilities.

While Mr. Bello reserves the right to air his grouses and grievances, for his claims to have merit, Mr. Bello must show how the Learned SAN either breached the provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners or flouted an order of court or advised his client to do so. Simply taking umbrage with a Lawyer’s representation would be to deny that Party the fundamental right to fair hearing guaranteed by Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

In fact  YC’s legacy as an ethical counsel and a brilliant trial lawyer are part of the public record. He came to national limelight defending his Client at the Human Rights Violation Investigation Commission popularly known as the Oputa Panel. The videos have been on YouTube for several years now they are available for all to see.

It would be impossible for the ECNBA to disqualify YC on the grounds that YC represented his client competently within the bounds of Law as provided for under Rule 16 RPC which is in pari materia with Canon 7 of the American Bar Association Model Code of Responsibility which urges Defense Lawyers to represent their clients “zealously within the bounds of the law”.

Mr. Bello who recently indicated an interest to contest for the Federal House of Representatives Ibadan North Constituency seat has leveraged on his battle with the Nigerian Law School to achieve other feats- speaking engagements, political prominence, international recognition etc. I wish him well but my advice as a Legal Practitioner and Senior Colleague (if he ever makes it to the Bar), is that he should focus on his case, the fact that he has changed counsel several times is already a bad omen.
Furthermore, as a matter of law, there must be an end to litigation. The law frowns upon the abuse or misuse of the judicial process by unscrupulous litigants and rabblerousers.

Chisom Amadi, a Legal Practitioner practices in Abia State, Lagos State and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Chisom can be reached at [email protected];
08061194337