An Abuja-based law firm, BOB James & Co., has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, demanding the suspension of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, from the Body of Benchers over what it describes as “dishonourable public conduct” unbecoming of a senior lawyer.
The petition, dated November 17, 2025, and signed by legal practitioner Barrister Bob James, was received at the Office of the CJN on the same day.
In the petition, James urged the CJN to launch a full inquiry into a viral incident involving Wike on November 11, 2025, in Abuja. The minister, a senior member of the Body of Benchers, was allegedly captured on video engaging a young naval officer in a heated confrontation during which he repeatedly called the officer “a fool.”
The petitioner described the behaviour as an unprecedented embarrassment to the legal profession.
“There is no precedent in the history of the legal profession in Nigeria of a bencher publicly deploying vulgar language or the kind of aggression associated with motor park people,” James stated.
The petition emphasises that the Body of Benchers—responsible for calling new lawyers to the bar and upholding the profession’s highest ethical standards—cannot overlook such conduct.
Citing Section 4(1)(e) of the Legal Practitioners Act, James argued that only persons of “good character” are fit to be called to the bar. By extension, he said, benchers must embody the highest level of decorum.
He warned that allowing Wike to sit among benchers during the next call-to-bar ceremony would erode the moral authority of the institution.
According to James, new lawyers might question “how a body charged with disciplining erring practitioners could credibly perform that role—except the erring lawyer is a Wike.”
James further referenced guidance from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) of England, which warns that lawyers’ personal conduct—even outside professional settings—may still amount to professional misconduct if deemed offensive.
He also cited the Court of Appeal ruling in Ayorinde v. Kuforiji (2007), in which Justice Amina Augie stressed that lawyers must “guard their tongue and pens in and out of court.”
James maintained that the FCT Minister’s alleged actions fall short of the conduct expected of a bencher.
“Decency and decorum in the use of language is one of the minimum character requirements of the legal profession,” he wrote.
He urged the CJN to suspend Wike from the Body of Benchers pending the conclusion of a formal investigation, insisting that such action is necessary to preserve the integrity of the legal profession’s highest disciplinary body.