Atalanta Partners Law Firm

23/08/2024

One of two orders is likely to be made by the Supreme Court today. It's either;

1. Those curious votes from Okene and co are invalidated, and a second ballot is ordered or,

2. The Petition/Appeal lacks merit, and is dismissed. Ododo is affirmed as Governor.

If the first happens then, it is very likely, that Muri will win the second ballot.

In a free and fair election, votes should really count, and this should be the focus of every legal proceeding challenging an election.

In an ideal legal administration, every technical impediment, that prevents the will of the people should be thrown out.

Sadly, no legal system is ideal. Not even the best of them!

The reason is simple; the administrators are fallible humans like everyone of us.

11/05/2024

A couple of years back, a Client requested us to enforce a judgment.

Looking at the judgment, it was apparent that the terms were ambiguous enough to make enforcement a lot of issues. The process of enforcement was protracted, lengthy and prolonged because of inelegant drafting! Enforcing it was just luck. We did it!

Like that case, over the years, we've had to do repair jobs on "simple legal assignments". Repair jobs spanning months, and many times, years! So we end up, doing a repair of years over a job that should take mere months.

Just recently, we had a conflict of laws case, where both the High Court of Nigeria, and that of Sandton, South Africa will have concurrent jurisdiction. After I was done with drafting, I decided to research the process of enforcement in South Africa, and realized that a completely new case (most probably spanning. months, if not years) will have to be commenced in SA for enforcement unlike Nigeria where a simple enforcement of judgment procedure will suffice. I am currently sourcing a Counsel in Sandton SA to commence the case from scratch instead of the double whammy!

Many times, "I have a Lawyer who will do it a lot cheaper" may be the cause for double, triple, and quadruple efforts on a seemingly simple case.

While cheap legal service may not be conclusive evidence of poor legal service, it is definitely a red flag! Nothing good comes easy it is said, and for those of us who want cheap service, the warning is apt, "caveat emptor"

The advice is simple, instead of looking for cheap, look for efficiency!

28/01/2024

Life is super amazing; one day you're the c**k of the walk, the next a feather duster.

The wisdom is to take it all in stride. Nothing lasts forever; both good and bad times!

24/10/2023

In the last couple of weeks, our Principal Partner, Ugbede Promise Ogbadu had the honor of canvassing before the Federal High Court again, arguments on the extent of a State Governor's powers. This time, the subject is security and the regulation of arms and amunnitions.

His Lordship, Hon Justice Omotosho was greatly persuaded by our argument in Suit FHC/ABJ/CS/697/2023 - Hon Danjuma Ahmadu v. Gov of Kogi State, Friday Sani Makama & Ors.

In concluding his judgment, his Lordship made the profound observation, that the Governor may have operated within the best of intentions, but it must be within the law.

There is a great duty on our Attorneys General, to advise their principals on the legality of executive actions.

The constitution is a guide by which all governmental actions must be measured, and when the measuring is done in-house, guided by the knowledge, integrity, honesty, and firmness of Government Attorneys, we will all be the better for it.

24/09/2023

But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.
I Timothy 1:8‭-‬11 NKJV

But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insub...

19/09/2023