By Ezenwa Echebiri
Pastor Tunde Bakare, a lawyer and former vice presidential candidate, has called for restoration of integrity in the Nigerian justice sector.
He made this call during the 22nd Gani Fawehinmi Annual Lecture held at Lagos Airport Hotel on January 15, 2026.
According to Bakare, “the restoration of integrity in the judicial sector, as well as in every sector of our polity, begins with personal responsibility and conviction.
“It starts with every member of the bench and bar recognising the sacredness of his or her role and the weight of responsibility he or she bears as the custodian of the law.
“It continues with recognising the value of delayed gratification and the inevitable fact that diligence eventually pays. It calls for a return to the ethical layering founded on the principle of contentment. ”
Pastor Bakare was the keynote speaker at the annual Gani Fawehinmi lecture series.
The 2026 edition of the annual lecture series organised by the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch, was themed: “Integrity Deficiency in the Justice Sector: Whither the Legal Profession?”
The event organised in memory of Abdulganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi, SAN, GCON, an icon of the Nigerian legal profession, drew participants from the judiciary, the legal profession, academia, and the public.
Chief Gani Fawehinmi, often referred to as the Senior Advocate of the Masses, was renowned for his fierce advocacy for justice, equity, and good governance. Throughout his career, he stood boldly against military dictatorship, corruption, and all forms of societal injustice.
Rising to prominence in the 1970s, Fawehinmi handled several cases pro bono, including the defence of factory workers against state authorities, a stance that often pitted him against powerful government interests. His tireless contribution to the advancement of justice earned him the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 2001 and the national honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).
While delivering the keynote address, Pastor Tunde Bakare extolled the virtues of the late icon, describing him as “one of the most luminescent legal luminaries in Nigeria’s, and indeed, Africa’s, history.”
He lauded the NBA Ikeja Branch for institutionalising the annual lecture as a means of preserving Fawehinmi’s legacy and challenging members of the legal profession to uphold the highest standards of integrity.
In his closing remarks, Chairman of the NBA Ikeja Branch, Mr. Adeniyi Quadri, reiterated the association’s commitment to promoting accountability and ethical conduct within the justice system, ideals that Fawehinmi embodied until his passing.
