Okey Wali

Okey Wali
President of the Nigerian Bar Association
In office
July 2012 – July 2014
Preceded byJoseph Bodurin Daudu
Succeeded byAugustine Alegeh (SAN)
Personal details
Born(1958-10-29)29 October 1958
Obio-Akpor, Rivers State, Nigeria

Okey Wali, SAN (born October 29, 1958) is a Nigerian lawyer and the 26th president of the Nigerian Bar Association.[1][2]

Early life

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Wali was born on October 29, 1958, at Obio-Akpor local government area in the metropolis of Port Harcourt, a southern part of Nigeria.[3] He attended the Port Harcourt Township School for his primary education but completed it at St. Paul’s Primary School in Diobu, Port Harcourt.[4] He later attended Baptist High School, Port Harcourt, where he obtained the West African School Certificate in 1973 and proceeded to the University of Buckingham, United Kingdom, where he received a Bachelor of Law degree in 1983.[5] He returned to Nigeria for professional training at the Nigerian Law School in Lagos State and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1984.[6]

Law career

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He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1984.[7] After few years of working experience, he was appointed as secretary of Port Harcourt branch of the NBA in 1992.[8] He later served as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Rivers State before he was elected as the 26th president of the Nigerian Bar Association,[9] having polled 688 votes to defeat Emeka Ngige (SAN), who had 449 votes.[10] He was succeeded by Augustine Alegeh, a senior advocate of Nigeria.[11]

Controversy

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In October 2014, it was reported that Wali was abducted in Rumualogu Town, Akpor City, Rivers State by unknown gunmen and released a few days after the abduction.[12][13]

References

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  1. ^ "Abducted ex-NBA president, Okey Wali released". Premium Times. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  2. ^ "Okey Wali, Ex-NBA president, kidnapped, Articles – THISDAY LIVE". thisdaylive.com. October 12, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  3. ^ "Former NBA president 'Okey Wali' kidnapped in Rivers State". Nigerian Bulletin – Trending News & Updates. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  4. ^ "How NBA election was won and lost". Vanguard News. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  5. ^ "NBA presidency: It's a battle between hawks and doves – Vanguard News". Vanguard News. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  6. ^ "Okey Wali declared president-elect of Nigeria Bar Association - www.channelstv.com". Channels Television. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  7. ^ "NBA elects Wali as new president". The Punch. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  8. ^ Leadership Newspaper (July 15, 2014). "NBA: Okey Wali's emergence as NBA president fraudulent – Falana". Nigerian News from Leadership News. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  9. ^ "Gunmen Abduct Former NBA president, Okey Wali, in Port Harcourt". Sahara Reporters. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  10. ^ Yahaha. "Okey Wali emerges as NBA new president". frontiersnews.com. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  11. ^ Media Trust. "Alegeh is Nigeria Bar Association's new president". Daily Trust. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  12. ^ "Former NBA president, Okey Wali, kidnapped in Rivers". Vanguard News. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  13. ^ "Kidnappers release ex-NBA President, Okey Wali". The Punch. Retrieved February 8, 2015.