‘I’m tired complaining’: Ex-NBA President, Olumide Akpata, explains reason for joining Labour Party

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olumide Akpata, has joined the Labour Party as a member.

Akpata, the first president of the NBA chosen outside the class of Senor Advocates of Nigeria, said his choice of going into partisan politics was borne out of a desire to act rather than complain.

He said: “This was a major step for me and not one that I took lightly…but I simply got tired of complaining about Nigeria every day and bemoaning her fate and I decided to take the plunge and to try to be part of the solution rather than agonising continually over the problem.
“This, for me, is the start of a very important journey, and it is my prayer that I arrive safely at my destination. #Nigeria #Edo #LP #ForwardEver #ChangeIsIndeedPOssible #BeTheChangeYouWantToSee.”

Akpata, born October 7, 1972, is a senior partner and the Head of the Corporate and Commercial Practice Group at Templars law firm in Nigeria.

He obtained a bachelor’s degree in law from University of Benin, Edo state in 1992 and was called to the bar in 1993. He served in the National Youth Service Corps in Kano State.

Akpata began his legal practice in Delta state under the tutelage of Dr. Mudiaga Odje, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, OFR, who was one of the most seasoned litigators of his time.

In 1996, Akpata relocated to Lagos and teamed up with his cousin, Oghogho Akpata, who had just set up the law firm Templars the previous year. Akpata joined in the formation of Templars at the age of 23, and has grown the firm into what it is today, as one of the largest law firms in Nigeria with a workforce of about 100 lawyers, including two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, both of whom practice proficiently in diverse areas of Nigerian law.

Akpata is currently senior partner and Head of the Corporate & Commercial Practice Group of Templars. He has participated in some of the major groundbreaking transactions that have shaped commercial law practice in Nigeria and indeed the Nigerian economy.

On July 30, 2020, he was elected as the president of the Nigerian Bar Association after acquiring a total of 9,891 votes of the total 18,256 ballots cast, defeating his closest rival Babatunde Ajibade (SAN) who polled 4,328 votes, and Dele Adesina (SAN) who polled 3,982 votes.