LPDC Disbars Adekunbi Ogunde Over Professional Misconduct

Adekunbi Ogunde, a legal practitioner involved in the Saipem Contracting Nigeria Ltd saga, has been disbarred by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), a segment of the Body of Benchers (BoB) responsible for disciplining errant lawyers.

The decision to remove Ogunde from the roster of legal practitioners in Nigeria was announced on Thursday, according to Akorede Lawal, spokesperson for the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). Lawal noted that while the sanction is subject to Ogunde’s right to appeal to the Supreme Court, LPDC’s decision stands as a significant repercussion for her actions.

In June 2022, Ogunde penned a letter to Saipem Contracting Nigeria Ltd, a client of the Ajumogobia & Okeke law firm, advocating for Wole Olanipekun & Co. to represent the company in a high-stakes case. At the time, Wole Olanipekun served as chairman of the BoB.

Ogunde, responsible for securing business deals at Wole Olanipekun & Co., allegedly suggested that Olanipekun wielded more influence with judges, attempting to sway Saipem’s decision.

Following the revelation of the email, Olanipekun issued an apology to Ajumogobia, disavowing any knowledge or approval of Ogunde’s actions. Subsequently, in August 2022, Ogunde took a leave of absence from legal practice, expressing remorse for her independent actions.

Despite her efforts to rectify the situation, the NBA petitioned the LPDC to investigate Wole Olanipekun & Co. over the incident, calling for Olanipekun to step down from his role as BoB chairman to ensure a fair investigation into his law firm’s conduct. The NBA further pressed for Ogunde’s prosecution for professional misconduct.