The Nigerian Bar Association has petitioned the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee over disparaging remarks made by lawyer Kalu Kalu about a Federal High Court judge during a television discussion of the leadership crisis in the African Democratic Congress.
NBA President, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, said the petition followed comments Kalu made about Justice Peter Lifu during the November 11, 2026, edition of Politics Today, hosted by Seun Okinbaloye.
The programme discussion centred on the November 5 judgment delivered by Justice Lifu concerning the leadership crisis in the ADC and its implications for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s 2027 presidential ambition.
During the broadcast, Okinbaloye interrupted Kalu over his comments about the judge, saying he would not allow the programme to be used to attack a sitting judicial officer personally.
“I would not allow you to use this platform to disparage a sitting judge… calling him personal names and attacking his personality. I’m sorry, I wouldn’t allow you to do that,” the host said.
Okinbaloye subsequently asked Kalu to withdraw the remarks.
Kalu eventually responded: “Because of time, I do withdraw it.”
In a statement, Badejo-Okusanya said she had watched a recording of the programme and condemned the remarks, insisting that lawyers must maintain professional standards when discussing judicial decisions, regardless of the platform.
“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.
The NBA president acknowledged that lawyers had the right to scrutinise judgments, challenge their reasoning and expose errors, describing rigorous legal criticism as necessary for the development of the law and the administration of justice.
She, however, argued that personal attacks against judges did not establish that a judgment was wrong or provide any legal remedy for an aggrieved party.
“Personal insults do nothing to establish that a judgment is wrong. 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,” she said.
Badejo-Okusanya said the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, 2023, require lawyers to maintain high standards of professional conduct and treat the courts with respect, dignity and honour.
She added that the rules also provide channels for complaints against judicial officers to be submitted to the appropriate authorities.
According to her, these professional obligations remain binding on lawyers outside the courtroom, including during television appearances and public discussions.
She said lawyers were expected to help the public understand the issues in a judgment, the reasoning behind the decision and the legal remedies available to parties who disagreed with it.
The NBA president disclosed that she had forwarded a formal petition, alongside the relevant broadcast material, to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for consideration under the applicable procedure.
She stressed that Kalu would be given an opportunity to respond, while the committee would determine whether his conduct amounted to professional misconduct and whether any sanction was appropriate.
“Whether professional misconduct has occurred and what sanction, if any, is appropriate will be matters for the Committee to determine,” she said.
Badejo-Okusanya maintained that the association's condemnation of the remarks did not amount to a conclusion on the disciplinary case, noting that the committee would consider the matter through the established 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.
She said the legal profession must be able to demand accountability from the judiciary while also ensuring that lawyers are held to professional standards.
“The Bar must be able to demand accountability from the Bench and insist on discipline within its own ranks. Our credibility depends on our willingness to do both,” she said.
The NBA president urged lawyers to express disagreement with judicial decisions firmly but professionally, saying their conduct shapes how the public views the legal profession.
The controversy arose during a discussion of the November 5 Federal High Court judgment on the ADC leadership crisis, a dispute with implications for the party's preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The judgment has also drawn attention because of its implications for Atiku Abubakar's political ambitions ahead of the next presidential election.
Kalu's withdrawal of the remarks during the programme followed the host's intervention. The NBA's subsequent petition, however, places the question of possible professional misconduct before the disciplinary committee for consideration.
The committee's decision will determine whether any professional rules were breached and what action, if any, should follow.
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