Tinubu to unveil book chronicling Olanipekun’s legal career
Tinubu to unveil book chronicling Olanipekun’s legal career
President Bola Tinubu will on November 19 unveil a six-volume publication chronicling landmark cases handled by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), during his five decades in the Nigerian legal profession.
The publication, titled Wole Olanipekun Through the Cases, examines the contributions of the senior lawyer to the development of Nigerian law and jurisprudence through commentaries on significant cases he handled over the years.
The unveiling will take place at the WOC Justice Summit, an initiative of Wole Olanipekun & Co., a day after the senior lawyer’s 75th birthday.
According to a statement on Monday by Wole Olanipekun & Co., the publication commemorates Olanipekun’s 50 years of engagement with the Nigerian legal system and provides an extensive examination of his career through cases reflecting the breadth of his advocacy and legal engagements.
The six-volume work features contributions from retired jurists, scholars, senior advocates and other legal practitioners across the country.
It also has forewords by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
Olanipekun, who was born on November 18, 1951, was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1976 and became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in July 1991, shortly before his 40th birthday.
He was appointed Attorney-General of the old Ondo State in 1992 and subsequently served as President of the Nigerian Bar Association in 2002.
Between 2022 and 2023, he chaired the Body of Benchers, one of the legal profession’s foremost regulatory and disciplinary institutions.
He is currently the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council of the University of Lagos, having previously served in similar capacities at the University of Ibadan and Ajayi Crowther University.
At Ajayi Crowther University, he now serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
Olanipekun is also the Chancellor of Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, located in Ikere-Ekiti, his hometown.
Over the course of his 50-year legal career and 35 years as a SAN, he has handled several cases that have had significant implications for Nigerian jurisprudence.
Among his notable engagements is his successive role as lead counsel to four Nigerian presidents since 2007 in legal challenges to their elections.
The publication examines those cases alongside other landmark matters that have shaped the country’s legal landscape, documenting the arguments, judicial decisions and broader implications of the cases for Nigerian law.
The presidential unveiling is expected to attract policymakers and leading figures in the legal, political, economic and commercial sectors.
The event will be held under the auspices of the WOC Justice Summit, which periodically brings together thought leaders and stakeholders to discuss issues relating to justice sector reform and development.
This year’s summit is themed, “From Precedent to Possibility: The Lawyer’s Role in Shaping the Next Fifty Years of Justice, Democracy and Public Trust.”
The discussions are expected to examine the role of lawyers in strengthening justice, democracy and public confidence in public institutions, while also reflecting on the future of the Nigerian legal system.
The summit will also provide an opportunity to reflect on Olanipekun’s five-decade journey in the legal profession and assess his contributions to Nigerian jurisprudence, as documented in the publication.
