{
  "id": 19976698,
  "title": "NBA drags Atiku's lawyer to panel for calling Justice Lifu ‘coconut judge’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/14/nba-drags-atikus-lawyer-to-panel-for-calling-justice-lifu-coconut",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-14T11:07:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Post Nigeria",
    "slug": "daily-post-nigeria",
    "url": "https://dailypost.ng/2026/11/14/nba-drags-atikus-lawyer-to-panel-for-calling-justice-lifu-coconut-judge/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has taken legal action against Mr. Kalu Kalu, the lawyer representing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, after he criticized Federal High Court Justice Peter O. Lifu. This incident occurred during an interview on Channels Television's Politics Today on November 11, 2023. Mr. Kalu, a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), referred to Justice Lifu as a \"coconut judge\" in response to a recent Federal High Court ruling against the ADC. The NBA deemed his comments insulting towards the judge and reported him to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC). NBA President, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, condemned Mr. Kalu's actions in a statement on November 13, emphasizing that lawyers should demonstrate respect and professional behavior when interacting with judges. She stressed that lawyers have the right to critique court decisions based on legal arguments, but such criticism should not involve personal attacks on the judge. Badejo-Okusanya further warned that abusing judges would not prove a judgment's invalidity and would harm the NBA's reputation. She reminded lawyers of the NBA's 2023 Rules of Professional Conduct, which obligate them to maintain respect, dignity, and honor towards the courts.",
  "summary": "The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has reported Kalu Kalu, a lawyer to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC. The NBA took the action over what it called insulting words Kalu used against Justice Peter O. Lifu of the Federal High Court. Kalu, who is a member of the African […] NBA drags Atiku's lawyer to panel for calling Justice Lifu…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "NBA petitions disciplinary panel over lawyer’s remarks against judge",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/nba-petitions-disciplinary-panel-over-lawyers-remarks-against-judge",
        "published": "2026-11-13T21:02:51.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}