By Ade Oyeyemi
The Nigerian Bar Association has referred a lawyer to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Kalu Kalu, to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee over his description of a Federal High Court judge as a “coconut judge”.
The NBA said the remark directed at Justice Peter Lifu was disrespectful and fell short of the professional standards expected of members of the legal profession.
Kalu, who is also a member of the African Democratic Congress, made the controversial statement during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on November 11, while discussing a recent judgment involving the party.
The judgment had sparked controversy over its potential implications for the ADC and Atiku’s reported ambition to contest the 2027 presidential election.
While arguing that the court’s decision did not disqualify Atiku from seeking the presidency, Kalu shifted his criticism to the presiding judge, describing him as a “coconut judge”.
The programme’s presenter immediately cautioned the lawyer against making disparaging remarks about a serving judicial officer and urged him to withdraw the expression. Kalu subsequently withdrew the comment, saying, “Because of time, I do withdraw it.”
He, however, maintained that judicial decisions remained open to public scrutiny, arguing that lawyers and other citizens had the right to examine judgments and challenge the reasoning behind them. He also claimed that the Court of Appeal had previously made similar observations about the judge.
Reacting to the incident, NBA President, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, said she was disturbed by the lawyer’s remarks, stressing that disagreements with judicial decisions must be expressed through legally sound arguments rather than personal attacks.
In a statement issued on Friday, November 13, Badejo-Okusanya acknowledged that judges were not beyond criticism and that lawyers had a responsibility to scrutinise court decisions and demand accountability from judicial officers.
She, however, warned that insulting judges was unacceptable, adding that such conduct undermined meaningful public discourse and damaged the reputation of the legal profession.
“Instead, they diminish the quality of public debate and bring our profession into disrepute,” she said.
The NBA president further referenced the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, 2023, which mandate lawyers to uphold professional standards and accord courts the respect, dignity and honour they deserve.
She added that the rules provide established procedures for raising complaints against judicial officers, urging legal practitioners dissatisfied with the conduct of members of the Bench to pursue their grievances through the appropriate channels.
