Law Personality of The Week: A.B MAHMOUD SAN

The Nigerian Bar Association is an organized statutory body with the primary motive of regulating and coordinating the legal practice in Nigeria. The organization had had a total of thirty three chairmen or presidents right from its inception in the year 1900 (though not really organized then) till date. However each of these presidents, while in office, performed differently according to their abilities, this explains the reason the present President distinguished himself and continues to steer the organization toward actualizing a collective goal.

Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud (SAN) studied law and graduated from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1979. He also holds a Master’s degree from the university specializing in Company and Labour Relation Law. Afterwards, he went on to serve for fifteen years at the Kano State Ministry of Justice rising from the pupil state counsel to the position of the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.

Poularly known as AB Mahmoud, he co-founded the law firm of Dikko & Mahmoud in the year 1993. Months later, he was elected as Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association, Kano branch.

His experience and achievements in the legal profession had earned him not only respect and recognition, but also membership in various organizations; governmental and non-governmental. He was a member of the National Committee on Crime Victims. Served as a member of the Presidential Committee on Incentives, Waivers and Concessions (for Investments and Businesses) Nigeria. He was one of the members of the Board of the Institute of Legal and Research Studies, Centre for Demoocratic Research and Training Mambayya House (Bayero University, Kano). He chaired the National Committee on the Review of the Nigeria’s Code of Corporate Governance for public companies. A member of the vision 2020.

His quest and acquisition of knowledge is ‘second to none’ as he strives to ‘learn, unlearn and re-learn’. Mahmoud trained various times at the International Development Law Institute in Rome, where he obtained a certificate in Law & Development in 1987 and in Legal Aspects of Privatization in 1990. He holds a diploma in Sociology of Law in Spain in the year 1990 and another certificate in Techniques of Privatization from an institute in Harvard University in the year 2000.

AB Mahmoud was admitted as a Fellow of the Chattered Institute of Arbitrators in 2008

Progressing to his active and substantive contributions to invigorate the Nigeria Bar Association, he was elected as the President of the association at the 2016 National Elections conducted through e-voting. He polled 3,055 votes to defeat Joe Kyari Gadzama who polled 2,384  votes.

Important Quotes and Addresses.

• -          He publicly reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Bar Association to national unity and integrity of the Nigerian State, thereby speaking against any form of secession from any quarters of the country. He made this known in his address at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Lokoja on the first day of June 2017. He pontificated, “I believe, as many of you here do, that we are better together than in our smaller enclaves”.
• -          More so, he recently addressed the Hijab controversy about a Nigerian Law Student who was denied call because of refusal to remove her Hijab during the recent Call to Bar. On the 15^th of December, 2017, he tweeted, “UK based Nigerian lawyer recognized foor promoting diversity in the legal profession. The NBA will embrace diversity and tolerance in the Nigerian Legal Profession. The Hijab issue will be addressed”. He further added in his tweet, “My daughter Zabaida Mahmoud at the ceremony admitting her to the New York bar earlier this year…The controversy on Hijab is needless”.
• -          Speaking against indiscipline among legal practitoners, he was asked in an interview by a correspondent of news website, The Nigerian Voice, on how he intends to improve the professional ethics of lawyers. He replied, “…I will work to identify and deal with institutional bottlenecks that impede or undermine the disciplinary process. Sanctions will be applied vigorously..”

Written and edited by Okediya Peter O.

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