Ibadan, December 6, 2025 – Ibadan played host to the inaugural Egbe Amofin Oodua Women’s Summit, a historic gathering of female lawyers of Yoruba extraction. The three-day Summit carried the theme: “Evolving Role of Women in the Legal Profession: Striking a Balance Between Professionalism and Gender Bias”, with the byline: “Celebrating Women’s Leadership, Empowerment and Legal Excellence.”
With such an illuminating theme and eminent speakers including Hon. Justice Toyin Adegoke, Mrs. Titilayo Akinlawon, SAN, and Mrs. Doyin Rhodes Vivour, SAN, the Summit promised to be a think-tank of transformative ideas.
It was expected to be a space where Yoruba female lawyers, young, old, and not so old, who proudly proclaim “Akinkanju Obinrin ni wa, Apelola ni wa” (we are brave and courageous women crowned in honour) would exchange insights and move the dial of inclusivity forward. Gender bias and women empowerment were firmly on the agenda.
Observers anticipated mentorship sessions, strategy workshops, and roadmaps to guide women on career growth, professional fulfilment, and leadership roles. Vulnerability, lived experiences, and honest guidance from women to women were expected to set a gold standard in the trailblazing tradition of the Yoruba nation.
However, the actual events of the Summit mirrored George Orwell’s Animal Farm: “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”
At a Summit convened to celebrate women’s leadership, a respected female academic stepped down from a contest for which she was eminently qualified, endorsed a male candidate, and accepted a supporting role. Social media captured the moment in near real-time, sparking widespread debate on whether women are still being relegated to supporting roles.
The irony of this act has drawn strong reactions. In Gen Z parlance, many are asking: “Make it make sense.” How does stepping down for a male candidate advance women’s leadership and empowerment, especially during the 16 Days of Activism?
Professor Foluke Dada-Lawanson, the academic in question, is highly qualified to aspire to the office of President. Her credentials include being a former national officer of the NBA, the first female Chair of the Ado-Ekiti Branch, Dean of Law at Caleb University, and Chair of the NBA Lawyers in Academia Forum. She is outspoken, challenges stereotypes, and has a consistent public record advocating for women’s leadership.
Despite this, the Summit did not see these “Akinkanju Obinrin”—brave and courageous women—rally behind her. Instead, they supported a male candidate, Aare Muyiwa Akinboro, citing that Osun State had never produced a President of the Bar. Ironically, Prof. Dada-Lawanson is also from Osun State.
This decision raises critical questions:
- Why is Egbe Amofin Oodua determined to impose a ‘selected’ candidate on the Bar rather than allow a fair contest based on vision, intellect, integrity, and leadership skills?
- Is this not contrary to the democratic ideals the NBA champions?
- As the national election season approaches, what moral authority will the NBA have to preach democratic values it appears unwilling to practise?
- Previous justifications claimed that a sole candidate from the Midwest could sweep votes when multiple Yoruba candidates contest. Yet now, with only Yoruba aspirants, why does this concern persist?
- What prevents Egbe Amofin Oodua from risking Aare Akinboro’s chances in an open contest?
The now-viral stepping-down video leaves many unanswered questions. Learned Yoruba women gathered to discuss empowerment, yet a Yoruba woman’s wings were “clipped” under the guise of ‘Yoruba unity’ and ‘Omoluabi’.
Meanwhile, social commentators have likened the situation to a penalty missed in football. As Small Doctor’s lyrics go, “e ti gba penalty wo throw in o…” A highly qualified daughter of Osun stood just 11 metres away from an open goal, yet many celebrated as gender bias resurfaced and women’s empowerment suffered a setback this time, seemingly endorsed by the “Akinkanju Obinrin.”
Abike Famakinwa writes from Ondo.
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