NBA Petitions LPDC Over Lawyer’s Insults On Judge

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has formally petitioned the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) against lawyer and African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain Kalu Kalu over insulting remarks he directed at a Federal High Court judge during a live television programme.

NBA President Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, announced the action in a statement issued on Thursday, 13 November 2026, after reviewing the November 11 edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today, hosted by Seun Okinbaloye.

Kalu appeared on the programme to discuss a November 5 judgment by Justice Peter O. Lifu in the suit Gombe v. ADC & 4 Ors. The ruling nullified the David Mark-led leadership of the ADC and all actions taken by that leadership from 29 July 2025, including the processes that produced former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate and other candidates for the 2027 elections.

During the interview, Kalu insisted the judgment did not expressly void Atiku’s candidacy or those of other ADC nominees. He argued that the Supreme Court decision in Jegede v. INEC (2021) 14 NWLR (Pt. 1797) 409 established that wrongful acts by national party officers do not automatically invalidate nominations made by party members. He also claimed the Independent National Electoral Commission had monitored and supported the Mark leadership process, and that an earlier Federal High Court ruling by Justice Liman had affirmed it.

The exchange turned contentious when Kalu made personal remarks about Justice Lifu. Reports indicate he used language suggesting the judge “doesn’t read because he has a coconut head.” Presenter Seun Okinbaloye immediately interrupted, stating he would not allow the platform to be used to disparage a sitting judge or attack his personality. He demanded a withdrawal. Kalu complied, saying, “Because of time, I do withdraw it.”

Despite the withdrawal, Badejo-Okusanya obtained and watched the recording. In her statement, titled “A Lawyer’s Duty of Respect Does Not End at the Courtroom Door,” she condemned the language unequivocally.

“A lawyer’s disagreement with a judicial decision, however strongly held, cannot excuse personal abuse of the judge who delivered it. Neither the intensity of a political controversy nor the platform on which a lawyer speaks relieves that lawyer of professional responsibility,” she said.

She stressed that lawyers retain every right to examine judgments, challenge reasoning and expose errors, noting that rigorous criticism advances the law and the administration of justice. Judges remain accountable for their exercise of power, and the NBA will continue to insist on that accountability.

Personal insults, however, achieve nothing of substance. “They offer the public no legal analysis and provide no remedy for an aggrieved litigant. Instead, they diminish the quality of public debate and bring our profession into disrepute,” the NBA President stated.

She cited the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, 2023, which require lawyers to maintain high standards of professional conduct and to treat courts with respect, dignity and honour. The rules also provide channels for formal complaints against judicial officers.

These obligations, she emphasised, do not disappear when a lawyer enters a television studio.

“Our professional standing gives our words particular weight. Members of the public are entitled to expect that a lawyer discussing a judgment will help them understand the issues, the reasoning and the available remedies. That standing carries a responsibility to exercise judgment and restraint, especially when passions are high.”

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Badejo-Okusanya confirmed she has forwarded a formal petition, together with the relevant broadcast material, to the LPDC. Kalu will be entitled to respond. Whether professional misconduct occurred and what sanction, if any, is appropriate will be determined by the committee in accordance with due process.

“Respect for due process does not, however, require the NBA to remain silent about language that falls below the standards we expect of our members,” she added.

The NBA President concluded by urging the Bar to balance its duty to demand accountability from the Bench with the equally important duty of maintaining discipline within its own ranks.

“Our credibility depends on our willingness to do both. We can speak firmly, disagree profoundly and challenge judicial decisions with all the force that the law permits. But we must also remember that the manner in which we do so teaches the public something about the profession we represent.”

The petition comes against the backdrop of heightened political tension ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the ADC and Atiku Abubakar already signalling plans to challenge Justice Lifu’s judgment on appeal. The outcome of both the disciplinary process and the appellate proceedings will be closely watched by the legal and political communities.