Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, are among eminent personalities expected in Ado-Ekiti on July 10 in celebration of the 60th call to bar anniversary of Aare Afe Babalola, SAN.
Also expected at the event are the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III; the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto State, Bishop Matthew Kukah, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Maikyau, (SAN), among other respected dignitaries from within and outside the country.
The Chairman, Organising Committee, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, (SAN), in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said the event being put together by Aare Babalola’s mentees, admirers and beneficiaries, would hold at the Alfa Belgore Hall, Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
Afe Babalola, a legal luminary and founder of the Afe Babalola University, was admitted to the Bar of England and Wales on July 9, 1963.
The event, which will feature a public lecture and book launch, is to celebrate Afe Babalola’s 60 years as a lawyer.
Ogunwumiju stated that Bishop Kukah would deliver the anniversary lecture, titled “The Future of Constitutional Democracy in Nigeria: Imperative of a New Constitutional Order,” with Obasanjo acting as the chairman of event planned to commence by 10am.
He added that the event would also feature testimonials and goodwill messages from friends, admirers and associates of Aare Afe Babalola, and a book launch, to feature Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, CON, as Chief Launcher and Wema Bank, Fidelity Bank, Union Bank, Zenith Bank, First Bank, Polaris Bank, among others as launchers.
Ogunwumiju also stated that the money to be realised from the book launch would be channeled towards the construction of the ABUAD museum, “while the day’s activities will be rounded off with a celebration dinner with King Sunny Ade on the band stand by 7.00 p. m. at the same venue.”
“The upbeat event will be witnessed by the crème-de-la-crème of the society, made up of members of the Bar and the Bench, legal academics, the royalty, the clergy, delegates from the University of London, delegates from King’s College London, and captains of industries as well as members of the diplomatic community.
“An advocate par excellence, Aare Afe Babalola has made outstanding contributions to Nigerian law and Jurisprudence, through his excellent advocacy in court and by authoring several law books.
“He was, at some point the President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators of Nigeria. He has been invited by the Supreme Court of Nigeria on several occasions as amicus curiae.
“He has also trained over 1,000 lawyers, produced 25 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (the largest by any law firm in the country), including several Attorneys-General at the Federal and State Levels as well as judges up to the appellate courts, among others,” the statement said.
