Human Rights Lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana,SAN has lucidly pointed out reasons why Mr. Dele Adesina ,SAN one of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Presidential aspirants is his preferred choice amongst the candidates. Stating that Mr. Dele Adesina,SAN has the requisite qualities to successfully lead the Bar in the next coming years.

Mr. Femi Falana SAN stated amongst others that Mr. Dele Adesina, SAN has the integrity to lead the Bar, he possesses the leadership qualities needed by the NBA presently, he is consistent and committed to the rule of Law and he further describes him as an Encyclopedia of the Bar.

The detailed reasons why Mr. Femi Falana,SAN is backing Mr. Dele Adesina,SAN are provided below.

1. NEED FOR A BAR TO DEFEND JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE

According to the learned silk,

“Whenever the country faces a crisis in the political arena, crisis of judiciary is currently facing a crisis of confidence, rule of law, massive violations of human rights, the Bar has always taken the lead, acting as a vanguard, mobilizing lawyers and the civil society. In order to defend democratic rights.”

Mr. Falana noted that over the years, the Nigerian Bar Association has abandoned its traditional role of defending the rule of law, human rights and judicial independence. Also, that in the quest for judicial autonomy, JUSUN and Chief Olisah Agbakoba,SAN had approached the Court whilst NBA took no step.

In addition, Mr. Falana further illuminated that

“Judges have no association. Therefore, it’s the Bar that has always defended judge. Upright judges. Judges who are dedicated to their duties. But to do that effectively, we also need leaders of the Bar with integrity!
Right now, that is missing. The greatest number of lawyers that breach rules of professional ethics are senior lawyers. So, leadership is missing there! So you need a Bar leader.”

2. A LEADER TO CAMPAIGN FOR REFORMATION OF SUPREME COURT
Mr. Falana,SAN noted that Mr.Dele Adesina has the needed skills needed in the Bar to lead a campaign for the reform of the Supreme Court.

“The Supreme Court of old was made up of people from the academia, people from practice and the Bench. So, once you have such plurality of backgrounds and views, you are likely to have a solid court…

“In those days, when you have judges that can be identified. People like Oputa went from the High Court to the Supreme Court. People like Niki Tobi from the University of Maiduguri. Like Elias from the Faculty of Law University of Lagos. He went on to become the CJN. The court was different, and from there he went to the International Court of Justice. In those days, our judges were respected in the entire Commonwealth and the entire world. Now, we need to rebuild the court system. Anywhere in the world, the Supreme Court is the last stage of justice. You need a strong Bar to do that.”

3. DELE IS NOT A STRANGER TO THE BAR
In addition, Mr. Femi Falana,SAN said Mr. Dele Adesina is a preferred because he has details idea about the traditions of the Bar.

4. CAPACITY TO RESTORE THE RESPECT OF THE BAR
It was noted that the ‘NBA is the largest and strongest professional body on the continent. The NBA was on the leadership of civil society movement not just in Nigeria, but on the continent’. Mr. Falana noted that former NBA Presidents like Chief I Idehen and Aka Bashorun enhanced the prestige of the Bar across the continent.

Therefore, according to Mr. Falana:
“We need a man like Dele Adesina to bring back those days as NBA President. He has the character, he has the pedigree, he has the experience to bring the NBA to a right footing. This is the kind of NBA president we need now!”

Also, Mr. Falana said:
“If you get to Ghana today or Gambia and say ‘the President of the Nigerian Bar Association would see your President.’ Immediately, somebody would arrange the meeting.

We have to bring the NBA back to that era. We must get people who understand what the NBA is all about. We must have somebody who can say ‘in so so year, this was what we did in Ghana, this was what we did in Gambia, etc.’”

5. AN NBA PRESIDENT WHO EXPOSES LAWYERS TO PRACTICE BEYOND NIGERIAN COURTS
“Part of the problems of the NBA is that we have many lawyers who are not exposed. We need to have lawyers who go to the ICC and other courts to do cases.” Mr. Falana said.

“We need a new Bar who will ensure that Nigerian lawyers go to the ICC where we have a Nigerian as president. How many Nigerian lawyers go there?” He continued.

Similarly, Mr. Falana,SAN observer that:

“We must have an NBA president who will ensure that Nigerian lawyers go to the ECOWAS Court, African Court, where we are expected to show leadership.”

6. CREATING JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR JUNIOR LAWYERS IN EMERGING AREAS OF LAW
Mr. Femi Falana,SAN, Mr.Dele has the necessary exposures to create jobs for junior lawyers, “we must have our colleagues to spread our tentacles. Today, we have over 150,000 lawyers and there is no West African country that has up to 5,000 lawyers in practice. Not even Ghana. In places like Liberia or Gambia, you are talking of about 150 or 200 lawyers. So, you can imagine the impact our 150,000 lawyers can make in the sun-region or in the continent.” He noted.

Noting that:

“Then we must look at our rules and find a way to create jobs for junior lawyers. We can no longer have a situation where lawyers sit in the comfort of their air-conditioned offices and there are people out there who don’t know their rights.

“Also, there are new areas of law, which have not been opened up, sports law, entertainment law and many others. We must have lawyers in those areas. We should have a new leadership of the Bar who will organize seminars to open up those areas for young lawyers to make good money.”

7. BAR LEADERSHIP WITH CONTACT
According to Mr. Femi Falana:

“So, we need the Bar leadership that can make the contact and I believe Dele Adesina has that capacity to provide that leadership.”

“Right now, we have the Africa Free Trade Zone. That sub-structure requires lawyers of knowledge who will exposed to internal law and trade.” He said .

8. THE LEADERSHIP OF THE BAR RISING TO THE OCCASION
Mr. Femi Falana noted that the leadership needed must be one that can rise to the occasion at any given point in time in the interest of the public. Alluding to Cross Rivers State example, the learned silk said:

“Look at what happened in Calabar. Its not just enough to issue a statement. The one who was supposed to be the Chief Judge was born in Cross River State. She grew up in Cross River, had her education there and even married in Cross River State before they created Akwa Ibom. You now say she belongs to Akwa Ibom! In all the arguments, the leadership of the Bar must be able to meet with the governor.”

9. DELE IS A SOLID LIBERAL
According to Mr. Falana, “Dele is not a radical lawyer. But he is a solid liberal!”

Recounting his experience, Mr. Femi Falana said:

“Dele Adesina was the chairman of the Ikeja branch of the NBA in 1992 when we had the greatest challenge to the rule of law and democracy in our country. I remember the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Beko Ransome-Kuti, Omojola and myself were arrested. Dele Adesina linked up with Mrs. Kuye who was then the Acting President of the NBA to give us a solid defence. At that time of course, the Bar was a voice to recon with. In one of the encounters, what the federal government did was to rush to court to stop the NBA from going on strike. That is Dele Adesina for you. Rising up in the defence of the rights of our colleagues who were struggling towards the restoration of democracy in Nigeria.”

In another development, Mr. Femi Falana recounted:

I remember an instance when Balarabe Musa was standing trial and they were trying to jail him at all cost. The NBA wasn’t involved in the matter. We had a good lawyer, the late omolajo. Aba Bashorun was NBA President. He called the Bar chairman in Lagos and called the Bar chairman in Ikeja, Dele Adesina was Ikeja branch chairman then. He asked them to go to the tribunal to defend Balarabe Musa. They accompanied Aka Bashorun to the tribunal, and the tribunal chairman said ‘oh, Mr. President of the Bar, what can we do for you?’ he said ‘My Lord, we are here to see how the rule of law operates.’ That was what saved Balarabe Musa.

10. DELE IS COMMITTED TO DEFENCE OF RULE OF LAW
Mr. Femi Falana said: “I can vouch for Dele Adesina SAN, his consistency, his commitment to the defence to the rule of law. This is what our colleagues should know.”

On the reasons why he can vouch for Mr. Dele Adesina,SAN, according to him:

“When the NBA was taken over in 1992, they then brought out a Decree, knowing that we would go to court. Decree No. 21 of 1994 to the effect that anybody who challenges anything done or purported to be done under this Decree will be deemed to have committed an offence and sentenced to One Year imprisonment and on payment of N10,000 fine. A Decree! I told my colleagues at a meeting of the Ikeja Branch that ‘I am going to court.’ At that meeting Dele Adesina said ‘No, you wont go to court alone. All of us here must resolve to go to court together. So that if they have to jail us, let them jail all of us.’ Of course we went to court and we won the case up to the Court of Appeal.”

11. AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE BAR
Mr. Femi Falana,SAN has described Mr. Dele Adesina as an “encyclopedia” of the Bar with the history need to steer its leadership. “For me, its not just about his person. He is an encyclopedia of the Bar! He has the history at his fingertips. He can reconnect with the past. I am talking about the past of relevance. The past that defended the rule of law and democracy in our country. He can then serve as a link between the old and the new Bar.” He said.
“We will be able to address these challenges under Dele Adesina’s leadership and create opportunities for the young ones.” He assured.

12. DELE FOUGHT TO ENSURE END TO ILLEGAL POLICE DETENTION
Mr. Femi Falana,SAN stated that Mr. Adesina is fit for the job noting that “today we have 125 branches. Each branch has a Human Rights Committee headed by the Vice Chairman. We have fought to ensure that the Chief Judge of every State designates Magistrates to visit police station at least once a month. If you get the entire 125 branches, following that development and to follow the magistrates to visit police station at least once a month, the days of illegal detention will be over in Nigeria.”

13. LEADING PUBLIC DEBATE IN THE AREA OF RULE OF LAW
According to Mr. Falana , “we must have a Bar that come out and lead the public debate on… issues. That was the kind of Bar we had under Alao Aka Bashorun, even under a military dictatorship. I believe we can reenact the Bar. This is why some us us are backing Dele Adesina SAN.”

In addition, “ you need a new Bar that can lead public debate in the area of rule of law. The Emir of Kano has just be deposed. You need a Bar that can tell the people the rights that have been violated…So, apart from violating his right to fair hearing, you have also violate his right to freedom of movement and then restrict him”. Mr. Femi Falana said.