GOK AJAYI DIES AT 83

LEGAL icon, Chief Godwin Olusegun Kolawole ( G.O.K) Ajayi SAN spent nine weeks in hospital before he passed on last Friday at about 5 pm, aged 83 years.

He had been on admission at the intensive care unit of Reddington Hospital in Lagos.

Chief Ajayi had taken ill last year. Throughout late last year, he was being attended to by medical experts at Eko Hospital in Lagos, before he was moved to Reddinghton Hospital, also in Lagos.

The second daughter, Mrs Bolajoko Yoloye who spoke with the Nigerian Tribune said burial arrangement would be announced later.
His ailments were said to be old-age related

A family friend, Mrs. Ronke Giwa said, the family was still in shock because Baba was very kind-hearted. He is like a father to many people and larger than life.

She added that he was a friend to her late father, F. O. Giwa, also a foremost lawyer.

Chief Ajayi left behind two daughters, Oyetola Ajayi and Bolajoko Yoloye.

The news of his death was not broken until earlier yesterday (Sunday) and at press time, only family members and close relatives were available at his Surulere home when Nigerian Tribune crew visited.

His security guard of many years, Harrison Ogooma while lamenting said “It was on Friday I learnt of the death of Baba. It was a heavy blow to me. I will miss Baba’s advice, if I had problems, he will advise me on what to do”.

Family members who were around at his home were unwilling to talk as they said they were still reeling in shock of his unexpected passing.

Nigerians react
Reactions have continued to trail the death of legal icon, Chief G.O.K Ajayi. Former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bayo Ojo in his tribute said “The death of Chief Godwin Olusegun Kolawole Ajayi has drawn the curtains on possibly the finest era of legal activism. He was at the forefront of law for the benefit of humanity. He stood permanently on the side of the oppressed. You can always predict where you would meet him; on the side of justice.

“He fought a gallant battle of life. He conquered. His legacies are unimpeachable. The justice sector in Nigeria has lost a constant voice of truth. Africa has lost a bright legal mind. The world would miss Nigeria’s special gift to global legal system. When history of legal titans who shaped and re-shaped their worlds is being told, a befitting page is assured for the legendary G.O.K. May his soul rest in peace.”

A legal practitioner Adeola Okunore, described his death as a loss to Nigeria, saying “Chief Ajayi was a fountain of legal knowledge, a lawyer par excellence, and the personification of gentility.  He held the Nigerian legal circles like colossus. He was always in opposition and was a beauty to behold when he made presentations in court. A curtain has closed in the Nigerian legal system. He would be missed”.

A lawyer, Opeyemi Oriade also described him as impressive in intellect and towering in knowledge and courage.

“As gentle as he is, Chief Ajayi can be stubborn to the extreme in any matter he believes in. This was demonstrated when he walked out of a court in June 2005. It was in a criminal suit where he represented Chief Emmanuel Nwude who was on trial with others for defrauding a Brazilian Bank, of USD 240 million.

“Chief Ajayi had argued that the EFCC lacked the powers to prosecute the accused persons and insisted that only the Nigerian police is imbued with the constitutional responsibility of prosecution. He would be well missed. He was an icon.”

Nigeria Bar Association, Chairman, Ikeja branch, Mr. Monday said, “If it is true that G.O.K Ajayi is dead, I am totally shocked.
“There he goes to the Maker and to the ancestors,  one of the finest souls in the legal profession.

“He was a titan and bestrode the legal profession like a colossus.  His sudden death without any prior notice of any ailment is flabbergasting.

Nigeria and the legal profession will surely mourn and miss him.”

Legal Practitioner, Mr Olisa Agbakoba said, it is a sad moment for the legal profession. G0K was one of the finest forensic craftsmen in the Nigerian legal history ranking with the all time greats FRA Williams, GCM Onyuike, HA Lardner, Sofola, etc he came and conquered and deserves his rest.

Mr. Tayo Oyetibo SAN, exclaimed! “Oh oooooo he was a great advocate of high work ethics. Soft spoken but tenacious. The Bar will miss him and I think the Bench too.

Mr. Kemi Pinheiro SAN averred that, he is a  quintessential gentleman, a formidable and extremely forensic advocate adding that” ! So sad ! The legal profession has lost one its very best brains!”

It will be recalled that, Godwin Olusegun Kolawole Ajayi, one of Nigeria’s legal luminaries died on Friday.

His death came after a prolonged sickness that sidelined him from active legal practice in the last few years.

One of Nigeria’s most sought after lawyers, Chief Ajayi represented Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, presumed winner of the June 12 1993 presidential election.

He was 83 years old. Members of Ajayi’s family and friends around the world are discussing a plan for a befitting funeral.

Apart from representing MKO Abiola, one of Ajayi’s high profile cases was representation of Abdurraham Shugaba Darma, a prominent member of the Great Nigeria People’s Party (GNPP), a majority leader of the Borno State house of Assembly, who in 1980, was dramatically deported to a village in Chad republic on the orders of the Nigerian internal affairs minister, Bello Maitama, under the Shagari regime, Mr. Ajayi took the embattled Shubgaba’s case up to the Supreme Court which reversed the politician’s deportation and awarded him N350,000.

In addition, Ajayi, SAN, represented the late human human rights lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi, against the Nigeria government and other entities.

Ajayi undertook legal studies in the United Kingdom and was called to the Middle Temple bar in 1955 when he was only 24. Two years later at 26 he was called to the Nigerian bar and began his distinguished legal career.

His death brings to an end one of the most storied legal practices in Nigeria’s history, family source said.

Human Right lawyer, Festus Keyamo has described the death Chief G.O.K. Ajayi as an “indelible and irreplaceable loss to the entire legal profession.”

Keyamo in a condolence letter, a copy of which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune said late Ajayi was truly one of the very last of the finest breed of the surviving first generation lawyers in Nigeria.

According to him, late Ajayi “was remarkable in his impeccable forensic advocacy which he often delivered with a soft, but piercing, voice. In terms of the skills of advocacy, he was my personal hero.

“My sincere condolences go to his family, friends and the entire legal profession. Chief Ajayi, SAN, will go down as one of finest lawyers this country has ever produced,” Keyamo stated.

National Publicity of Afenifere, Mr Yinka Odumakin
“A great man has fallen. Chief Ajayi will forever be remembered for his legal sagacity deployed in the service of progressivism. We express our condolences to the family he has left behind. Good night, Odole of Ile.”

A chieftain of Afenifere and former Leader of the Alliance for Democracy in the House of Reps, Chief Oladipo Olaitan said: “His death came as rude shock. He served as the head of the national legal team for the UPN. I was a member of the team then. He was very meticulous, painstaking with an unusual calmness in his approach to legal issues. Because of this, it was difficult to catch him unprepared on legal issues. He was very polite and unassuming. He was a true legal luminary. May his soul rest in perfect peace, amen.

Chief Olabode George said: “He was a great legal luminary. He was a quintessential lawyer and professional, who dedicated his entire life to service of his country and indeed mankind. This is sad, very very sad, as he left at a time Nigeria needs his wealth of experience. Indeed, Nigeria has lost another great, honest and dedicated statesman. The last time I saw him was during a valedictory service in honour of late Justice Kayode Esho at the Supreme court. He was called upon to speak the life and times of Justice Esho. I hope the younger ones would emulate the enviable virtues of Chief Ajayi, who was an epitome of hard work, professionalism, piety and dedication to his fatherland. He was totally dedicated to the rule of law and all the ethos of democracy.”

GOK: Sunset for the Guardian of AtyapBy Lanre Adewole and Dare Adekanmbi

For those who know him well, he was a principled, disciplined, strict and frank lawyer. Whatever the epithet deployed in describing the legal juggernaut, the renown of Chief Godwin Olusegun Kolawole Ajayi, SAN spreads across the Niger. From the remotest corner of Borno State to Atyap community in Kaduna, Ajayi is a household name known and popularly addressed by his initials, GOK.

Between May29, 1931(82 years) and last Friday when he joined the saints-triumphant, GOK was dedicated to fighting oppression through the gift of the garb and his brilliant advocacy in the temple of justice. So, for him, it was a life well spent and if there is an opportunity to choose a profession in the hereafter, GOK will not hesitate to go for Law again.

Born in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, precocious GOK was educated at Saint Saviour’s School, Lagos (1938-1940); CMS Grammar School, Lagos (1941-1948). His quest for more knowledge took him outside the country to the United Kingdom where he attended London School of Economics and Political Science.

Having been forged in the furnace of the school, he was called to the English Bar in 1955. On his return to the country, he was also called to the Nigerian Bar on Novermber 29, 1957, from whence he shared time teaching at the Nigerian Law School and his private practice.

Until his demise, he was one of the quartet remaining of the lawyers promoted to the rank of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) on January 12, 1978, those commonly referred as the Second Set. GOK bagged the highest legal title in the same year with other Silks such as Chief Obafemi Awolowo; Chief R.A Fani-Kayode; T.A Bankole Oki, Kehinde Sofola; Chief Olisa Chukura, Dr Mudiaga Odje, Chief Richard Akinjide; P.O Balonwu; and Professor Ben Nwabueze.

Ajayi was the main lawyer for the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and consequently represented the party election matters up to the Supreme Court. This, commentators have said, accounted for his closeness to the sage. In the popular Awolowo Vs Sheu Shagari matter, where the UPN challenged the declaration of Shagari as winner of the 1979 presidential election under the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

Famous in that case was the 12 2/3 of 19 Theory credited to Chief Richard Akinjide who was then the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation. The apex court delivered a controversial judgment in the matter in favour of Shagari, while the only dissenting voice, late Justice KayodeEso, gave a minority verdict that was widely published and is still being referenced till date.

Another prominent landmark in GOK’s legal career was in the case between AbdulrahamShugabaDarman and the Federal Government. Darman was the majority leader of the Borno State House of Assembly in the Second Republic. He was elected on the platform of the Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP) which was formed by Ibrahim Waziri, head of a splinter group from NPN.

Darman was seen by the ruling NPN as a threat and in the ensuing intrigues, the then Minister of Internal Affairs, Alhaji Bello Maitama, issued a deportation on him and classified Darman as a non-Nigerian and a “prohibited immigrant” as a result of which he was deported to a village in Chad Republic. This was done against a series of court verdicts, including the one delivered by the apex court, in favour of the persecuted politician.

UPN was vehemently led a public outcry against the decision and vintage GOK was in his element in fighting the unlawful and politically motivated deportation. The case was fought with every atom of strength GOK could muster and his sweat paid off- the deportation was pronounced illegal by the court.

Ajayi added to his cap of legal triumphs when he won back the victory of the late Chief Michael Ajasin as the duly elected governor of Ondo State in 1983. The Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO) had declared Akin Omoboriowo, Ajasin’s deputy who defected to the NPN, winner of the election. GOK fought the injustice up till the Supreme Court which declared Ajasin as the authentic winner of the election. He was also the nightmare of the NPN in the case between Bola Ige and OmololuOlunloyo.

It is on record that GOK led about 290 lawyers to defend the late human rights lawyer, Chief GaniFawehinmi, who was then before a military tribunal in 1989. He also stood solidly for the late Chief MKO Abiola who was held on treason charges by the late General Sani Abacha.

When General Zamari Lekwot and a few others from Atyap, a community in Kaduna State, were charged with murder before a military tribunal over the Zango Kataf disturbances in the 90’s, GOK it was that pulled the accused back from the jaws of death. In appreciation of fearless which won them freedom from the jackboot, the community bestowed an honorary title of the “AchokAtyap”, which means “The Guardian of Atyap” on GOK.

Former Chief Justices of Nigeria, MuhammedUwais, Alfa Belgore, Idris Legbo Kutigi and Justice Umaru Abdullahi are a few of those who received legal tutelage from GOK. He was a generous and defended many without charging fees. So great a lawyer was he that the Supreme Court invited him and Chief Akinjide to brief the court as amicus curia in the case between INEC and Five Governors.

GOK was an Awoist who was fiercely loyal to progressive ideals. He was always at Ikenne Remo home of Chief Awolowo during the meetings of the Yoruba Unity Forum, in company with his wife, Chief (Mrs) Margaret Ajayi, who, along with successful children, survived him. He was a director of the African Newspapers of Nigeria, Plc, Publishers of the Tribune titles.

Reacting to his death, one of the two remaining 1978 Set SANs, Chief Richard Akinjide said: “He was a brilliant advocate, a friend and a professional college. His death is a great loss to the legal profession. We had many cases against each other but he remained a great professional colleague. May his soul in perfect peace.

GOK was a devoted Christian both at Saint Peter’s Church, Faji, Ajele, Lagos and in Ogun State, his roots. He held the traditional title of the Odole of Ile-Ife bestowed on him by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade.

Ajayi fought bravely on the legal turf but, like every mortal, would not fight death. He raced to the finished line and breasted the tape of honour. His moral balloon was not deflated and his integrity was intact till he the icy hands of death bade him rest from his labour. This is how history will write his epitaph: “Here lie the remains of a great man, full of accomplishments.”