EPISODE 188 - Judges Must Avoid Politicians With Chief Jibrin Samuel Okutepa SAN Jordin Canada [kUudzqKQdrj]

EPISODE 188 | STATE OF THE NATION

Jibrin Samuel royal navy warship construction error Okutepa, SAN: "The NBA Election Was Stage-Managed" And Why Judges Must Keep Politicians at Arm's Length

Senior Advocate jaime pressly of Nigeria Jibrin Samuel Okutepa joins Atlanta Discuss for a candid conversation on two subjects now converging in Nigerian public life: the credibility of the Nigerian Bar Association's 2026 national election, and the widening danger of judicial proximity to political power.

Okutepa, one of the Bar's most persistent internal critics, explains why he says he has lost faith in the NBA following the July election that produced Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, as the association's 33rd President. He argues that the legitimacy of any election rests on the integrity of the processes leading up to it rather than on the declaration of results, and restates his contention that every stage of this cycle lakers vs oklahoma city thunder match player stats was compromised. He also addresses what he describes as double standards within the profession lawyers who condemned INEC's technology failures while excusing similar problems at NBA House.

The second half turns to the Bench. Okutepa sets out the case for strict judicial distance from politicians: why fraternising, gifts and favours corrode independence long before any judgment is written, why he has argued that the judiciary can only be independent when judges themselves choose independence, and what is at stake as pre-election litigation mounts ahead of the January 2027 general elections.

For balance: Badejo-Okusanya has firmly rejected claims that the election was manipulated, stating that she would resign if it were established that she was rigged in, and that the process withstood unprecedented scrutiny. The Electoral Committee, chaired by Aham Ejelam, SAN, confirmed her victory with 12,317 votes (47.18%) ahead of Lateef Akangbe, SAN (30.39%) and Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN (22.43%), on a turnout of 26,184 out of 82,172 registered voters. Outgoing President Afam Osigwe, SAN, said the exercise survived a cyberattack that forced the committee to migrate its systems.

Allegations discussed in this episode are those of the speakers and remain unproven. Where matters are before any court or committee, they are discussed subject to sub judice caution.

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