Alegeh wins NBA election, to become 27th president of the Nigerian Bar Association
Augustine Alegeh, SAN has been elected the 27th President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
The election which took place on Tuesday July 15, 2014 in Abuja had five candidates running for the office of the President namely, Dele Adesina, SAN, Augustine Alegeh, SAN, Olufunke Adekoya, SAN, Adeniyi Akintola, SAN and Osas Erhabor.
The key contenders however were, Alegeh, Adesina and Adekoya whose agenda and strategies set them apart from the others.
Alegeh won the race with a total of 691 votes. His runner-up, Dele Adesina, SAN had 370 votes, ‘Funke Adekoya, 255 votes, Niyi Akintola, 126 votes and Osas Erhabor, 17 votes.
In separate pre-election interviews with the incoming President, Austine Alegeh, SAN and the Chairman of Mid-West Bar Forum Ferdinand Orbih, SAN, both had expressed concerns about the conflict between the South-West Lawyers Forum (Egbe Amofin) and the Mid-Wet Bar Forum on the support and adoption of a candidate from the mid-west.
Whilst Alegeh stated that “it would be unfair and unjust if the Midwest was not allowed to produce the next NBA President,” Ferdinand Orbih stated categorically that “The NBA was one family and has in the past produced Presidents of Mid-western extraction. Thus, any attempt to exclude the Mid-west from three consecutive rounds in which NBA presidency has been zoned to the West will be unfair. We are surprised that despite all our entreaties, lawyers from the South-west are still jostling for the 2014 NBA presidency.”
Alegeh’s election as president of the Nigerian Bar Association has been applauded by members of the business law community, who have expressed optimism at the incoming President’s ability to move the Nigerian bar forward. They are also counting on him to accomplish his vision for the bar as stated in his agenda, which includes the reform of legal education, proper structures to improve the revenue base of Nigerian lawyers, amongst other things.
Speaking on the election, Templars’ Partner, Olumide Akpata had this to say, “I am happy about the people’s choice of Austine Alegeh as the new president of the NBA, because he portends change for the bar. The fact that he went into the race as an underdog is quite inspiring for us all as members of the bar. What this means is that any one of us can aspire to be president of the Nigerian Bar Association. I am totally excited about this change.”
Alegeh was the Chairman of the Database Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, 2010 -2012, Chairman – NBA Database Committee, 2012 – 2014, Chairman, NBA Election Petition Review Workshop, Alternate Chairman – Technical Committee on Conference Planning, 2012, Member, NBA House Fund Raising Committee, Member, NBA National Executive Committee, 2010– 2014.
The President-elect and other elected officers will be sworn in at the next Annual General Conference (AGC) of the Nigerian Bar Association in Owerri, Imo State, next month.
PROFILE
AUGUSTINE OYAREKHUA ALEGEH, SAN, FCIArb [UK], hails from Ikabigbo, Etsako West Local Government Area, Edo State. He was born on August 10, 1964 to the family of Late DCP & Mrs. Matthew Alegeh (Rtd.) in Warri, Delta State.
He attended ST. GEORGE’S PRIMARY SCHOOL, FALOMO, LAGOS for his Primary Education. In 1974, he commenced his secondary education at ST. PAUL’S SEMINARY, BENIN CITY in the hope of becoming a Reverend Father. In 1975 his parents transferred him to EDO COLLEGE, BENIN CITY to continue his Secondary School education. He obtained his West African School Certificate (‘O’ levels) from Edo College in 1980 and further proceeded to FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COLLEGE, WARRI in JANUARY, 1981 for his ‘A’ levels but completed only Lower Six before gaining admission to the University.
He gained admission to study law at the prestigious University of Benin in 1981 and graduated with the law degree of Bachelor of Laws LL.B (Hons.) Second Class Lower Division in 1985. He attended the Nigerian Law School, Lagos in the 1985/1986 session and was duly called to the Nigerian Bar on the 16th of October, 1986 after obtaining his Bachelor of Law Degree B.L (Hons.) Second Class Upper Division from The Council of Legal Education.
At the Bar Qualifying Examinations in 1986, Austine Alegeh won the Bola Ajibola Prize for Civil Procedure.
Between 1986 and 1989, he cut his legal teeth in the law firm of Sadoh & Co. (Legal Practitioners). In March 1989 following the appointment of the former Principal Partner of Sadoh & Co., as a Judge of The Bendel State High Court he became the Managing Partner of The Firm, which then became known as Alegeh, Agun & Co. In September 1990 the firm became known as Alegeh & Co. following the departure of the Firm’s Partner (Francis Agun) to practice in The New York Bar.
He expanded the practice base of The Firm and opened offices in Lagos and Abuja. The Law office presently employs over 50 lawyers and support staff. The Law firm is again expanding with the opening of offices in Warri and Asaba both in Delta State.
He is an active member of The Nigerian Bar Association and was until his election, the Chairman of The Database and Documentation of Nigerian Lawyers Committee, a committee set up by The Nigerian bar Association. He was appointed a Notary Public in 1994 by the Chief Justice of Nigeria.
He has acted as Lead Counsel in a host of decided landmark cases in Nigeria. He is actively engaged in Appellate Litigation and has argued several contentious matters before The Supreme Court of Nigeria which are widely reported in the law reports such as the locus classicus in Labour Law; Omagbemi v. Guinness, as well as Sunday Ndidi v. State and Ilekwoba v. State to mention a few.
Augustine Alegeh, SAN, has acted as Counsel in a host of cases involving novel legal issues and contributing to Nigerian Legal jurisprudence. He presently acts for the Federal Government of Nigeria, Federal owned Parastatals as well as several State Governments in matters before the Supreme Court and other Courts in Nigeria and in other jurisdictions.
In recognition of his modest contribution to the development of the law in Nigeria, The Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee elevated him to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2007.
Despite his elevation to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2007 and being undeterred in his quest for knowledge and in keeping abreast with the dynamics of the practice of law, he attended Keble College, Oxford University, United Kingdom and was awarded with a Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration from in 2009. He was in 2010 made a Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Arbitrators, United Kingdom.
He is a member of the Board of Directors in a host of companies with vast interests in Construction, Information Technology, Engineering, Real Estate and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).
He is a lover of the games of cricket and football and as a demonstration of his interest in the game of cricket, was made Chairman, Edo State Cricket Association between 1996 and 2000. He was also the founding secretary of Crescent Sports Club, Benin City, a football club of young intellectuals and diverse professionals. He later became The President of the Sports Club.
Augustine O. Alegeh, SAN, FCIArb is happily married to Ferishat Alegeh and the 20-year old union is blessed with children.