Legal scholar Jaja cautions Agbakoba, You risk “reputational damage” in defending Akpabio in “touring press conferences” instead of arguing case in court
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Legal scholar Tonye Jaja has cautioned Olisa Agbakoba SAN, against reputational damage in his public interventions in the sexual harassment allegation Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan levelled against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Jaja in an open letter to Agbakoba dated April 30 accused the former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President of indulging in public posturing while risking serious legal and reputational consequences for himself and his client.
Agbakoba has publicly confirmed that Akpabio engaged him as counsel in the Akpabiogate involving Akpabio and Natasha.
Jaja, who trained under Chinonye Obiagwu SAN, and now practises in Lesotho, anchored his argument on three foundational legal principles: double jeopardy, sub judice, and clean hands.
He reminded Agbakoba that the matter has already been dismissed by the Senate Committee on Ethics, chaired by a legal professional, with representation from other Senior Advocates, including Monday Ubani.
Any further push to reopen the matter, he warned, could constitute a constitutional violation of Natasha’s right not to be subjected to trial twice for the same issue.
Jaja questioned why a respected lawyer like Agbakoba is “touring press conferences” rather than limiting his arguments to courtrooms where multiple suits on the matter are active.
“Your interventions should be before a competent court, not in public opinion campaigns,” Jaja wrote, referencing a lawsuit filed by Akpabio’s wife Ekaette seeking over N300 billion in damages from Natasha for accusing her husband of sexual harassment.
He also called out what he described as hypocrisy in Akpabio’s pursuit of justice through his lawyers while allegedly denying the same justice to others in his role as Chairman of the National Assembly’s Governing Council of the Institute for Legislative Studies.
“Your client seeks equity yet fails to deliver it,” Jaja wrote, questioning the moral basis of Agbakoba’s mission to clean up Akpabio’s public image.
He described Akpabio’s six-month suspension of Natasha as legally and morally defective, saying it violates Senate Standing Orders which limit such suspensions to a maximum of 14 days.
Jaja also challenged Agbakoba’s conciliatory approach, insisting that true reconciliation must start with Akpabio righting that procedural wrong.
He quoted Martin Luther King Jr. saying, “the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice” and urged Agbakoba not to allow pride or professional ambition to blind him to the risks involved in the case.
He warned that even the most seasoned advocates are not immune to reputational damage when they abandon caution and objectivity in pursuit of politically charged missions.
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