By Henry Ojelu
There are names that echo through the corridors of courts and yet never breach the hearts of the people. And then there are names like Dr. Monday Ubani—a name that dances on the edge of principle, courage, and compassion.
A name that time itself now bows to, as it marks another July 27, another candle not dimming but blazing brighter on the birthday cake of purpose.
Dr. Monday Ubani, SAN, is not just a lawyer. He is a defiance of silence, an anthem of the oppressed, a man whose every courtroom step sends ripples through the constitution and conscience of a nation.
Born in the red-earth village of Awomukwu in Ikwuano, Abia State, the boy who once carried schoolbooks through rain and dust is today the lion whose legal roars have unsettled thrones.
In his ascension to the coveted Silk of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Ubani has not worn the title like a crown of ivory, but like a shield for the powerless.
He has faced power—and made it blink. The media knows his name. The nation remembers when he, almost alone, filed the landmark suit against the Federal Government’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy. Channels TV, Premium Times, The Guardian and many others echoed his stance.
He was the voice when the government banned Twitter; the hand that filed the legal action no one else dared. He stood up to the forceful NIN-SIM deactivation, fighting not just for phone lines, but for dignity.
In each case, his name blazed across headlines as if destiny itself were spelling out his mission: Monday Ubani challenges FG… Ubani sues EFCC… Ubani dares Power with Justice.
Yet beyond the newsprint and television glare lies a heart even more compelling than his briefs.
This is the man who rescued a dying infant—Baby Somaya—from the grip of a broken healthcare system, flew her to India, paid for her surgery, and raised her like a godfather might be a nation’s hope. Today, Somaya lives, studies, and thrives, because one man refused to look away.
This is the man who, when an airport cleaner found N12 million in forgotten cash, ensured that honesty was rewarded. Dr. Ubani fought until that woman received the money she was due—turning a rare act of integrity into national celebration.
As Chairman of NBA-SPIDEL, he did not inherit a vibrant institution. He took ashes and built fire. In his hands, SPIDEL became a thunderclap in public discourse. His conferences attracted ministers, judges, governors—men and women drawn to the moral clarity he carries like oxygen.
His oratory? A storm of reason. His pen? A scalpel of truth. His presence? Commanding.
In loss, he has shown grace. When his mother, the venerable Gladys Nsomma Ubani, passed earlier this year at 90, the tributes told the story of a matriarch who shaped the oak tree we now call Dr. Ubani. In his mourning, he stood tall—a son whose legacy is now hers too.
To his beloved wife, Lady Faurstina, and his children, whose education and achievements reflect the discipline he radiates at home, he is simply a husband, a father—a man of warmth and iron.
As he turns 60, Monday Ubani is not slowing down. No—he is gathering momentum. His name still cracks through the airwaves. His voice remains a conscience on the radio and television. His signature still graces legal petitions like thunder on parchment.
Dr. Ubani, SAN, is not just a man. He is a movement. And today, we rise—not to mourn—but to salute. Not to say goodbye, but to thank God for keeping him in our time.
Happy birthday, Okwuruoha—the People’s Advocate, the Constitution’s Son, the Flame that Lights the Gavel.
May your next chapter be more glorious than all that came before. And may history, with all its ink and glory, reserve a golden page—just for your name.
