Osibanjo as a ‘Personal Lawyer’ to Tinubu – Putting the records straight

Contrary to the spurious claims in a post (circulating on social media) by an unknown author, I unequivocally state as follows, based on certain incontrovertible facts in public domain:-

1. Prof. Osibanjo SAN was never in private practice as a lawyer till he set up his law firm (Simmons Copper Partners) in 2007 after leaving government upon completion of Asiwaju Tinubu’s 2nd term as Governor. He had been a law lecturer and professor of law till he was introduced and recommended to Tinubu by Late Justice Muri Okunola, through Justice Bola Ajibola SAN, and Tinubu appointed him as the Lagos State Attorney General from 1999 to 2007.

2. The law firm of Late Alhaji Kafaru Tinubu had been Solicitors (personal lawyers) to Asiwaju Tinubu who got to know Fashola SAN through the said Late Kafaru Tinubu. Therefore, Osinbajo has never been ‘personal lawyer’ to Tinubu. He was his Commissioner for Justice & Attorney General.

3. Osinbajo never fought any of Tinubu’s personal or political battles in court. Osinbajo prosecuted and defended cases involving Lagos State against the Federal Government, particularly the unlawful seizure of the State’s revenue allocations by Obasanjo regime. It is the constitutional duty of the Attorney General of any State to represent such State in Courts.

4. Contrary to the claim in the post, Tinubu, as a sitting Governor with immunity, would not have been invited or interrogated by EFCC in 2006. And It was Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN who led about 12 other SANs to defend Tinubu in corruption cases, particularly before the Code of Conducts Tribunal. It was not Osinbajo.

5. It was Mr. Femi Falana SAN, not Osinbajo, who represented and defended Tinubu in Certificate saga case instituted by Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN. Tinubu was a Governor; and Osinbajo, being the AG and a public officer, would not have defended an individual in Court.

6. The various legal teams Tinubu and AC (later ACN) engaged to prosecute election petitions of Aregbesola, Fayemi, Mimiko and Oshiomhole were led by Wole Olanipekun SAN, Niyi Akintola SAN, Rotimi Akeredolu SAN (present Ondo Governor), Akin Olujimi SAN, Yusuf Ali SAN, Lateef Fagbemi SAN and Alex Iziyon SAN. If at all Osinbajo SAN was part of them, he never led any of the teams because all the said senior lawyers became SAN before him. Certainly, Osinbajo is a widely celebrated Professor of Law and a renown Law of Evidence expert, but he is not an election petitions specialist like any of the said SANs.

7. Contrary to the mendacious assertion in the post, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN led other lawyers to defend Tinubu at the Code of Conducts Tribunal CCT in respect of assets declaration, not Osinbajo”.

By LUKMAN IMAM ESQ