By Kayode Adeoti
May 29th will usher in a new government in Kwara State, following the emergence of Alhaji Abdulrasaq Abdulrahman as governor-elect in the last general elections.
In 69 calendar days, Abdulrahman will be sworn-in as the elected executive governor of the state. This development, according to some political pundits, may warrant the executive re-jig of political offices as well as their occupants.
The issue, since Abdulraman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated his major rival, Abdurasak Atunwa of the People Democratic Party (PDP), has been generating debate among members of the public as to who replaces who among the politicians who have reportedly engaged in all forms of politicking and lobbying.
Though for now, many people in the state are still sceptical of how the sharing formula for the various offices under the incoming government will go following the report that Kwara State may likely be taking orders from Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the national leader of APC.
For the Ministry of Justice, the dominant question on the lips of many legal practitioners in the state is, will Ayinla Salman Jawondo replace Kamaldeen Ajibade SAN as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice?
Checks by Pilot Law shows that the legal icon has over the years garnered the necessary prerequisite experiences to steer the ship of the Ministry of Justice as its helmsman.
Jawondo, according to many of his colleagues in the legal profession has fought assiduously and tirelessly even with his personal earnings to handle court cases for opposition parties in the state.
Among the celebrated cases Jawondo won for the opposition parties is the one that was instituted by Ishola Balogun-Fulani-led faction (BF) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kwara State chapter, against the Bolarinwa Omolaja Bashir (BOB) caretaker executive.
Jawondo, being one of the lead counsels for the BOB faction of the APC, defended the case up to the Appeal Court level where the Kwara State High Court judgement that had earlier favoured the BFs’ faction was upturned. Though it is not yet Uhuru as the matter is now at the Supreme Court and may soon be heard.
In lieu of this, many lawyers believe that the hen that lay golden egg deserves special rewards. This means, it is expedient for incoming government to appreciate efforts of the legal icon with the seat of the Attorney- General.
Though, Jawondo is referenced as a controversial lawyer whose divergent positions always turnout in his favour.
Other names that have popped up, which may equally be considered for the helmsman of the Ministry of Justice are the likes of an Ilorin-based human right activist, Murtala Sambo and Abdulkadri Oba Mogaji of Mogaji-Ngeri Chambers.
Pilot Law gathered that Sambo is one of the pioneers of ‘O to ge’ sloganeering for the APC in Kwara State. Sambo, whom many people said has strong passion for the less privileged has handled many Pro-Bono cases.
Among cases that shot him into limelight is that of the opposition parties against the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC), the then Chairman of the commission, Uthman Ajidagba and others.
The court suit came on the heels of the Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) constituted by the Kwara State government.
He was of the opinion that constitution of such caretaker committee was illegal and as such, should be dissolved. He further posited then that fresh election should be conducted across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state, so that councils can have democratically elected chairmen.
Sambo, who canvassed his argument before Justice Salman Haleeman of the State High Court lost the case.
Findings by this medium revealed that despite the contributions of the legal icon, he may not get this job because he is relatively young for the job of the Attorney General.
In a recent interview with the activist, he told this medium that he has been inundated with calls from his colleagues over the fact that he is in line for the job.
He said, “many of our colleagues have approached me over this but I told them I’m still young and not qualified considering the years of practice of Jawondo. I think he is the most qualified, if it is not him, it cannot be any other person. He deserves the seat.”
For the principal partner of Mogaji Ngeri Chambers, his chances may not be as bright as that of Jawondo considering what many people described as not too pronounced investment in the incoming government.
For now, he’s still on the consideration list for the job, and if he will get it, time will tell.
Another issue of concern among legal practitioners is, whether any of the aforementioned will be able to perform and surpass the record of the current Attorney General. Would they be full of innovations that will further strengthen the State Judiciary?
According to legal practitioners in the state, whoever will pilot the affairs of the ministry must have clean records. The legal profession in Nigeria is noble; it gives no room for corruption and as a matter of fact, many people look up to us as custodians of law.
Because, till date, Ajibade, the philanthropist lawyer who hails from Alanamu ward in Ilorin West Local Government Area, is still being referenced as the best Attorney-General Kwara State has ever produced.
He is equally the longest serving AG whose records of braveness, tenacity and brilliancy has impacted positively on the ministry he oversees and that of his community.
Brief profile of Jawondo
Ayinla Salman Jawondo was born in Ilorin in 1964. He is from Asa Local Government Area of the State. After his LL.B, he was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1990, spanning 29 years in the legal practice. He began his legal attachment with the Kwara doyen of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Salman Alarape Aliyu. Later, he joined the Chambers of Ismaila Sodiq & Co. from where he rose to become the managing partner. He was at a time chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ilorin branch, between 2009-2011, he was a NEC member from 2009 to 2013. Over the years, Jawondo has been in active politics and always with the opposition party.
