By Dayo BENson

A six footer with a baritone voice, his imposing frame confers a commanding presence of a no-nonsense leader.
Bespectacled Alegeh comes across as one whose mission to lead the bar is backed by a clear vision and a sense of direction.

Augustine Alegeh
SAN

He was the only candidate that rode to the election on the crestwave of a popular support from his Mid-West Bar Forum Constituency . Armed with the forum’s endorsement, it was gathered that he was able to make easy in-road to the branches in the South-South and South-East.

Like other candidates , he also has support base in other zones of the country.
For one who was christened Augustine because he was born in August, clocks 50 on the 10th.
He is expected to bring a wealth of experience gathered over the years to bear on the NBA Presidency.

Augustine  Oyarekhua   Alegeh, SAN, hails from Ikabigbo, Etsako West Local Government Area, Edo State. He was was born to the family of Late DCP & Mrs. Matthew Alegeh (Rtd.) in Warri, Delta State.

He attended St. George’s  Primary School, Falomo, Lagos, for his Primary Education. In 1974 he commenced his secondary education at St. Paul’s Seminary, Benin City in the hope of becoming a Reverend Father. In 1975 his parents transferred him to Edo College, Benin City to continue his Secondary School education. He obtained his West African School Certificate (‘O’ levels) from Edo College in 1980 and proceeded to Federal Government College, Warri in January, 1981 for his ‘A’ levels but completed only Lower Six before gaining admission to the University.

He gained admission to study law at the prestigious University of Benin in 1981 and graduated with Second Class Lower Division in 1985. He was called to the Bar on the 16th of October, 1986 after obtaining Second class upper division from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos.

At the Law School, he won the Bola Ajibola Prize for Civil Procedure.

Between 1986 and 1989, he cut his legal teeth in the law firm of Sadoh & Co. (Legal Practitioners). In March 1989 following the appointment of the former Principal Partner of Sadoh & Co., as a Judge of The Bendel State High Court he became the Managing Partner of The Firm, which then became known as Alegeh, Agun & Co. In September 1990 the firm became known as Alegeh & Co. following the departure of the Firm’s Partner (Francis Agun) to practice in The New York Bar.

He expanded the practice base of The Firm and opened offices in Lagos and Abuja. The Law office at present employs over 50 lawyers and support staff. It is   again expanding with the opening of offices in Warri and Asaba both in Delta State.

He is an active member of The NBA and the Chairman of The Database and Documentation of Nigerian Lawyers Committee, from 2012 – 2014,a committee set up by The NBA. He is a member of The International Bar Association. He has attended various International and Local conferences.

In 1994, he was appointed a Notary Public by the Chief Justice of Nigeria. He has acted as Lead Counsel in a host of decided landmark cases in Nigeria. He is actively engaged in Appellate Litigation and has argued several contentious matters before The Supreme Court of Nigeria which are widely reported in the law reports such as  the locus classicus in Labour Law; Omagbemi v. Guinness, as well as Sunday Ndidi v. State and Ilekwoba v. State to mention a few.

Alegeh, has acted as Counsel in a host of cases involving novel legal issues and contributing to Nigerian legal jurisprudence. He is currently acting for the Federal Government of Nigeria, Federal owned Parastatals as well as several State Governments in matters before the Supreme Court and other Courts in Nigeria and in other jurisdictions.

In recognition of his modest contribution to the development of the law in Nigeria, The Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee elevated him to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2007.

Despite this elevation and being undeterred in his quest for knowledge and in keeping abreast with the dynamics of the practice of law, he attended Keble College, Oxford University, United Kingdom and was awarded with a Diploma in International Commercial Arbitratio in 2009. He was in 2010 made a Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Arbitrators, United Kingdom.

He is a member of the Board of Directors in a host of companies with vast interests in Construction, Information Technology, Engineering, Real Estate and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).

He is a lover of the games of cricket and football and as a demonstration of his interest in the game of cricket, he was made Chairman, Edo StateCricket Association between 1996 and 2000. He was Founding Secretary of Crescent Sports Club, Benin City, a football club of young intellectuals and diverse professionals. He later became The President of the Sports Club.

He also has a burning passion for general reading.

He is happily married to his lovely and amiable wife of 20 years and childhood sweetheart – Mrs. Ferishat Alegeh and blessed with children.