Braithwaite, a democrat to the core, says MARSAN coordinator

Octogenarian lawyer and coordinator, Movement for the Abolition of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (MARSAN), Pa Tunji Gomez has described the late Dr. Tunji Braithwaite as a democrat to the core in a country where truth is a scarce commodity and people tremble to say it.

Recalling the period of Abacha’s  tyranny, he said Braithwaite was one of the few civilians who challenged his nomination as the only presidential candidate.

In a statement made available to The Guardian, Gomez said that Braithwaite carried his courageous attitude to the legal profession and to the Nigerian political arena where he exhibited his concern for the poor, the underprivileged and the forgotten population of the country.

“Braithwaite encouraged the masses to fight for their rights and personally defended them when their rights were trampled upon. His criticisms of the political parties or government had always been based on factual data seeking to establish a better life for the people ”, Gomez added.

In the legal profession, Gomez said he was one of the lawyers in the profession who was an advocate with mastery of the complex procedure of the law.

And  as a member of the NBA, Braithwaite played the role of a ‘big team player’ and  was also an advocate fighting for the rights of junior lawyers and the need for them to be better paid and treated in the profession.

Braithwaite once contested for the position of the presidency of the Nigerian Bar Association but was persuaded by his branch (Lagos) to withdraw and he accepted without a qualms.