By Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja
Dear Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (MOB), Majority Leader of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sir,
Some weeks ago in April 2025, on a WhatsApp platform of lawyers, the names of Festus Keyamo, SAN and Dr. Monday O. Ubani SAN were mentioned as the prototypes of previously public interest lawyers/activists who lost their activism as soon as they occupied public offices.
By your words and actions yesterday 25th June 2025, your name and reputation has now been added to the said list.
I wonder what the late human rights and labour lawyer, and your namesake, Bamidele Aturu would speak of you, if he came back to observe your performance at the Senate yesterday!!!
It is ironic that instead of fighting for the public interests of the majority of Nigerians, you are fighting for the narrow interests of a select few Nigerians who are more interested in plundering public funds for their personal benefits!!!
It is ironic that it was the labours of public interest lawyers like Femi Falana SAN who fought against injustice perpetuated against you, when you were expelled by the then authorities at the University of Benin!!!
One would have expected that you would display eternal gratitude for that gesture by always aligning with the public interests but alas, nine out of ten times, your arguments on the floor of the Senate are in favour of the minority bourgeois!!!
Two years ago, a senior lawyer named Ogaga Ifowodo wrote a tribute to you when you turned sixty years, the full write-up is available online at: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/opinion/612593-the-charmed-brave-heart-of-michael-opeyemi-bamidele-by-ogaga-ifowodo.html?tztc=1
It will be nice if you could find time to re-read the said tribute and try to live up to the accolades heaped upon your good self.
Your two colleagues (Senators Abdul Ningi and Ali Ndume), who are not even lawyers tried in vain to draw your attention to the unethical precedent by confirmation of a Cross River indigene as chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
However, both your mind and your pocket, were already made up and hell-bent on the said confirmation!!!
Not even the appeal to Section 14 (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 which enshrines the federal character principle was enough to jolt you!!!
As a lawyer who understands that the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution are to be treated as superior to any other legislation or even judgment of any court of law, any right-thinking person would have expected you to yield.
No, you were too far gone!!!
Wishing you well in your future endeavours and contributions to debates of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja,
26th June 2025.
The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.
The open letter to Senator Bamidele raises interesting points about the confirmation process of the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission. What are your thoughts on the application of the federal character principle in this context?