What You Never Knew About The Tinubu’s Ministerial Nominee Likely To Be Nigeria’s 24th Attorney-General

What You Never Knew About The Tinubu’s Ministerial Nominee Likely To Be Nigeria’s 24th Attorney-General

It appears that Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, a prominent Nigerian lawyer who became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in a record time of 10 years, will likely be appointed as Nigeria’s 24th Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice.

The AGF position, which is the only ministerial role directly created in the Nigerian constitution for specialized duties, is typically reserved for lawyers. Based on the recently submitted ministerial nominees list to the Senate, it is evident that the next AGF will come from among the lawyers on the list.

Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi is the only Senior Advocate among the three lawyers nominated in the first batch of President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial nominees. This contrasts with the previous administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, which had several Senior Advocates in its cabinet.

Fagbemi, born on 16 July 1959, is an experienced lawyer with nearly four decades of professional achievements. He became a SAN after only 10 years of active legal practice, making him the youngest person ever to attain that rank at the time.

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He started his legal career under the tutelage of renowned lawyer Afe Babalola and later established his own law firm, Lateef Fagbemi & Co (Temitope Chambers), which has been operating for 21 years. The firm handles various cases for clients across Nigeria.

Fagbemi has extensive experience in various areas of law, including arbitration, alternative dispute resolution, commercial law, land and border disputes, and political and corruption-related cases. He has been actively involved in defending the All Progressives Congress (APC) in legal battles both as the opposition party and the ruling party.

Apart from civil and political cases, Fagbemi has also been involved in high-profile criminal cases, including the defense of former governors charged with corruption.

His nomination as a possible justice minister and attorney-general has drawn significant attention, given the extensive powers associated with the position. If confirmed, he would inherit a justice system that he has operated in for 38 years, along with challenges such as an inefficient justice system and issues with the anti-corruption efforts in the country.