Disbarred Oyinlola’s lawyer appeals LPDC verdict

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Kunle Kalejaiye, who was expelled from the legal profession on Thursday, has appealed against the verdict passed by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.

Kalejaiye’s legal team, led by Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN), on Friday filed an eight-ground notice of appeal to the Supreme Court, seeking orders to set aside the direction (verdict) of the LPDC and restoring him to the rank of a legal practitioner in Nigeria.

Other SANs in his legal team are Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, Adebayo Adenipekun and Chief Duro Adeyele. They stated in their notice that they would file additional grounds of appeal upon receiving the LPDC verdict.

The lawyers argued, among other grounds, that the five-man panel of the LPDC, led by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, erred in law and facts, denied him fair hearing and that its verdict “is against the weight of evidence.”

An intending appellant against the decision of the LPDC is required to file such appeal to the Supreme Court and the verdict of the committee will not be enforced until after it is determined by the apex court.

The LPDC had on Thursday disbarred Kalejaiye after finding him guilty of professional misconduct.

Kalejaiye was said to be guilty of misconduct which he allegedly committed in 2008 while representing the Peoples Democratic Party and its then candidate, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, at the Osun State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal.

The then candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, had challenged Oyinlola’s victory in the 2007 poll.

Kalejaiye was said to have engaged in a “private and confidential telephone conversation,” on MTN network, with the Chairman of the Osun State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, Justice Thomas Naron, without the knowledge of the other party.

He allegedly engaged in the unprofessional act between March and June 2008 and Justice Naron, with whom he committed the misconduct, had since February 20, 2013, been compulsorily retired by the National Judicial Council.

But in its eighth ground of appeal, Kalejaiye denied having any communication with the judge, arguing that the committee erred in law for holding that he did.

 

The particulars of error under ground eight as canvassed by the appellant read, “The appellant from the outset denied any communication with the said judge.