JUST IN: Supreme Court Restores SAN Title Of Kalejaye, Ibadan Based Lawyer

The Supreme Court on Friday restored the wig and gown of a
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Kunle Kalejaye, who was disbarred
by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee in 2015.

The LPDC had punished Kalejaye with disbarment for engaging in
“conduct unbecoming of a legal practitioner” involving private
communication with the Chairman of the Osun State Governorship
Election Petition Tribunal in 2008 while representing the Peoples
Democratic Party and its then candidate, Prince Olagunsoye
Oyinlola.

But a five-man panel of the apex court led by Justice Dattijo
Muhammad, on Friday, unanimously overturned the decision of the
LPDC on the basis that the constitution of the committee which
handed down the sanction breached Kalejaye’s right to fair
hearing.

Justice Centus Nweze who read the lead judgment of the apex
court held that failure of a member of the LPDC to participate in
the trial but contributed in the final judgment of the panel was a
breach of the appellant’s right to fair hearing.

The LPDC had on May 21, 2015 disbarred Kalejaye after finding
him guilty of professional misconduct.

Kalejaye 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 Petition Tribunal.

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

Kalejaye was said to have engaged in a “private and confidential
telephone conversation” on MTN network with the Chairman of the
Osun State Governorship Election Petition 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.