Former Lagos State Governor and immediate past Minister of Works and Housing, His Excellency Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, has formally returned to legal practice after more than 16 years away from the courtroom and 26 years in active public service.
Fashola, a distinguished legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), recently appeared in court to represent a client—marking his first courtroom appearance since leaving legal practice in 2007 to assume public office as Governor of Lagos State.
A now-viral video shows the former governor addressing the Supreme Court in Abuja, introducing himself with the words: “Thank you, Your Lordship. Babatunde Raji Fashola. I appear for the case therein.”
His return to litigation has sparked extensive reactions on social media, with many observers interpreting the move as a reaffirmation of professional ethics and a reminder that public office is not a terminal career.
A Facebook user, Abiodun Ojosipe, described him as “a true Yoruba son and an exemplary man… a living testimony that government is about service.”
Similarly, Emenike Emmanuel Chidiebube noted: “After serving the public, go back to your job or business. Politics is not a retirement home.”
On Instagram, @thisissegun commended Fashola for maintaining “a time-honoured professional norm serving the public and then returning to private practice with deeper perspective and purpose.”
Another user, @sammy_a_musicals, highlighted the rarity of such a move:
“No retired governor has ever done this before in the history of Nigeria… He isn’t doing this for pension; he has been successful since his first tenure.”
Not all reactions were celebratory. Some users dismissed the development as routine or inconsequential.
@mackonell747 commented: “He’s bored! Nothing to see here.”
Fashola obtained his law degree from the University of Benin in 1987 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988. He practiced for 15 years at the law firm K.O. Tinubu & Co., rising to the position of Managing Partner. In 2004, he attained the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)—the first in his graduating class to do so.
Fashola served as Chief of Staff to then-Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu between 2002 and 2006. He was subsequently elected Governor of Lagos State in 2007 and re-elected in 2011, completing his tenure in 2015.
His administration was noted for reforms in urban renewal, internal revenue generation, infrastructure development, and security improvement. Signature initiatives include,Eko Atlantic City Project,Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System,Lekki Free Trade Zone and Comprehensive waste management programs, including partnerships with the Clinton Foundation
In 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him as Minister of Power, Works, and Housing, and later as Minister of Works and Housing, positions in which he supervised numerous federal infrastructure projects ranging from highway expansions to national housing programmes—until 2023.
Fashola’s re-entry into active legal practice underscores the principle that legal professionals, including those who have held high public office, are free to return to their vocation. His appearance before the Supreme Court reaffirms the continuing status of a SAN as an advocate eligible to practice before all superior courts of record in Nigeria.
Whether viewed as a symbolic gesture or a substantive professional revival, Fashola’s return has reignited conversations about life after public office, professionalism, and the culture of continuous service.
Follow us on all social media platforms @dailyquery for news and analyses around the globe.
