*Over notice on Nigerian Law Society
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Law Society (NLS), Chief Bolaji Ayorinde SAN, has written to Mr. Hussani Ishaq Magaji SAN, the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), demanding an apology and retraction for a misleading public notice published by the CAC on August 6, 2024.
The public notice stated that the NLS was not registered by the CAC and implied that the NLS and its members were operating illegally. However, Chief Ayorinde pointed out that the notice failed to mention a Federal High Court judgment from December 2023 in the case of Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN, OFR & 5 Others vs Corporate Affairs Commission, which granted all the plaintiffs’ claims and specifically directed the CAC to register the NLS.
Chief Ayorinde expressed shock that the CAC would publish such a notice despite the court judgment, which he says remains valid even though the CAC has appealed it. He stated that the notice has damaged his reputation as a respected legal practitioner of 39 years and Senior Advocate of Nigeria of 19 years.
In the letter, Chief Ayorinde demanded that the CAC publish a detailed apology and retraction in The Nation, Thisday, and Leadership newspapers, the same publications where the original notice appeared.
He gave the CAC 7 days to comply, failing which he plans to seek a court order compelling the retraction as well as 5 billion naira in damages from the CAC and its Registrar General.
Chief Ayorinde emphasized that the sections of the CAMA law cited by the CAC in its notice do not override the constitutional right to freedom of association of himself and the NLS. He expressed disappointment that Mr. Magaji, a fellow SAN, approved the publication of the misleading notice.
The NLS President, other NLS officials, and additional Senior Advocates were copied on Chief Ayorinde’s letter to the CAC. The CAC has not yet issued any public response to the letter and demands.
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