Notable legal practitioner and member of the planning committee of the recently concluded Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Conference that held in Asaba, Enugu State, Babatunde Ogala, SAN, has dismissed social media claims that special prominence and importance were accorded to some popular new wigs.
Ogala’s comments were in reaction to the claim by one Mr Tugbiyele, also a senior lawyer in a video that went viral on the social media.
Attaching a caption to the now-viral video, Tugbiyele wrote: “NBA Conference! When I saw Deji Adeyanju, sitting on the front row, and, the role assigned to him at the NBA Conference 2025, I felt something amiss too! The other day, it was Dino, barely 60 days of call, getting an award for “his contributions to the legal profession”.
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“This is sad; very sad! This Agbero philosophy and mentality is eating into everything we ever held dear! Something is definitely wrong with the profession, really!
*Babatunde Ogala’s Counter Reaction* that he exclusively shared with Theliberationnews is presented below:
Egbon Tugbiyele unfortunately didn’t attend the conference and is just reacting to what he saw in the media, especially by young lawyers who were star-struck on sighting these “stars” and celebrities .
I am a member of the Conference Planning Committee and can easily answer and address his concerns, which are with due respect misplaced. I am addressing this. I will mention the names of those he is referring to albeit not bold enough to mention.
1. *Osita Chidoka*, who was called to Bar in July. Osita is a former minister of transport and one-time Corp Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Commission. He was invited as far back as March 2025 and pencilled to speak on the economy alongside Oby Ezekwesili and the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo He was not invited to speak as a lawyer as his invitation preceded his being called to bar. The choice of his likes and Oby was to give a balance as opposition elements to the government to express such views. One thing we can not deny is that Osita has been a stringent critic of the current administration and was considered a good choice and invited to give an opposition perspective just like Oby.
2. *Dino Melaye* – he was called to bar on the same day as Osita in July, and he didn’t get any special recognition at the conference. He was an enthusiastic participant who participated actively at the conference, and as usual with him, he was loud and visible, and the young lawyers were attracted to him. And if I must say, I do admire his participation and even personally commended him for taking the NBA so seriously from his first day at the bar. He participated actively in most activities and comported himself both in dressing and conduct. He was never recognised at any of the functions and never had a front seat contrary to the impression being given by Mr Tugbiyele. Suffice to say seating was free, and there were no reserved seats though at the opening ceremony and some plenary, including the one I moderated, the seniors occupied the first 3 rows in the auditorium.
At the dinner, Dino and Osita, though, attended as guests and entourage of the governor of Enugu State and arrived with the deputy governor who represented the governor and sat on the table reserved for the governor. They were not given any special privilege or recognition as lawyers by the NBA contrary to the misinformation by Mr. Tugbiyele.
3. *Deji Adeyanju* – he is a member of the planning committee of the conference and some other committees of the NBA and a member of the Young Lawyers Forum, and since his call to bar a few years ago, has been very active in NBA activity unlike Mr Tugbiyele and many others like him. He was asked by the committee to do the introduction of the keynote speaker and also participated in a session like many other young lawyers. I also moderated a session that had the Chief of Defence Staff, IGP, Director DSS, Femi Falana, SAN, Mike Ozekhome, SAN , Emeka Ngige, SAN all of whom are my seniors at both the inner and utter bar as well as our own Tony Ojukwu, SAN.
4. And if I must add that as a member of the planning committee, I was addled with the responsibility to receive the keynote speaker in Lagos and host him for the period he was in Nigeria. Besides, Deji was not the only young lawyer that had a speaking role at the conference. Many of them did as a matter of course in areas where we found them capable.
5. Kanayo Kanayo – he is a lawyer of maybe about 10 years and of course a well-known actor. He got no special or any mention at any of the sessions or activity. But being a well-known actor, the young lawyers and the media were all over him as they were with Dino and Deji.
The NBA or Conference organising committee had nothing to do with this and could not have control.
*Falz the Bad Guy* is also a lawyer and musician who came to perform at one of the private parties hosted by a member. The young lawyers were there in droves in their hundreds. He is a celebrity and well known and popular with that demography. These young lawyers were the busiest and most active participants at the conference and also formed the majority.
Even Seun Okinbaloye of Channels TV who is a law student moderated a session excellently well.
Should we not have allowed him because he is still a law student?
Mr Tugbiyele is, therefore, absolutely wrong and has rushed to do a video on an event he neither attended or registered to attend based on rumours and/or his imaginations.
Besides if he felt strongly about this he could have sought information or come to the AGM which held today to express his reservations or write to the NBA to protest rather than misinforming and misleading people as he just did in his video.
