Olakunle Edun was born on the 31st day of March, 1974 at the historic city of Ibadan. Born to a Yoruba military officer and an Urhobo mother, young Kunle Edun attended Pessu Primary School, Warri for his Primary education. He did his Secondary education at the renowned Rev. Kuti Memorial Grammar School, Abeokuta and concluded same in 1990.
In 1991, young Kunle Edun was admitted to read Mass Communication at the Ogun State Polytechnic, Abeokuta but had to abort the OND programme when in the same year he secured admission to read law at the then Ogun State University, Ago-Iwoye. Kunle Edun graduated with 2.2 in 1997 and proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Abuja as part of the pioneer set of students at the Abuja campus. He passed the qualifying exams with a 2.1. and was called to the bar in September, 1999. Kunle Kunle Edun had his LL.M at the University of Benin in 2006.
Kunle Edun participated in the mandatory National Service and served at the Law Firm of A.K. Osawota & Co, Warri (one of the largest law firms in Warri) where he was retained after the service year. He eventually rose through the ranks to become the Head of Chambers within 5 years of call.
Because of his dexterity and expertise in solving complex litigation and communal issues, Kunle Edun was head-hunted to be the Company Secretary/Legal Adviser of Lonestar Drilling Nigeria Ltd, Nigeria’s first indigenous oil drilling company headquartered in Port Harcourt. This was a period when militancy and communal unrests were rife in the Niger Delta. Because of his love for litigation, Kunle Edun resigned from the company after 5 years of service to co-found a Law Partnership in Warri.
Kunle Edun is a Founding Partner/Head, Litigation of one of the big Law Partnerships in the city of Warri, Tri-Lex Partners LP. The other two founding Partners were past Secretaries of the NBA Warri.
SERVICE TO THE BAR
1)Presently, National Publicity Secretary, Nigerian Bar Association.
2) Member, National Executive Committee, NBA 2016-till date.
3) Past Vice Chairman, NBA Warri 2016-2018.
4) Past Chairman, NBA Warri Human Right Committee 2016-2018.
5) Past Chairman, NBA Warri Ad Hoc Committee on Members’ Insurance 2016-2018.
6) Past Chairman, NBA Warri Public Interest Litigation Committee 2014-2016
7) Past Chairman, NBA Warri Fake Lawyers and NBA Car Sticker Committee 2014-2016.
8) Member, NBA Human Right Institute (NBA-HRI) 2016-2018
9) Council Member, SPIDEL’s Steering Committee that birthed the present leadership of SPIDEL (2016-2018).
10) Member, NBA National Assets Management Committee 2014-2016
11) Member, NBA Warri 2017 Select Committee: Workshop on the Delta State Administration of Criminal Justice Law.
12) Member, NBA Warri Special Publication Committee that compiled and published “Selected Judgments of the Late Hon. Justice F.O. Ohwo” 2018.
13) Chairman, NBA Warri Special Committee on “State of the Courts in Warri, Effurun and Udu”
14) Member, MWBF 5 Man Committee to study and appraise the Senator Godswill Akpabio’s proposed amended Legal Practitioners’ Bill-2018.
15) Chairman, NBA Warri Pro bono Committee 2014-2016; 2016-2018.
16) Member, NBA Warri Justice Sector and Anti Corruption Committee 2012-2014
17) Chairman, NBA Warri Publication Committee 2006-2008.
18) Publicity Secretary, NBA Warri 2006-2008.
SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH SOME PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATIONS
1) Suit No. W/437/2013: Olukunle Edun vs. Gov. Delta State & Ors..first judgment to uphold and make applicable the provisions of the FOI Act,2015 to the Delta State government and its agencies.
2) Suit No. UHC/186/2014: Olukunle Edun vs. Gov. Delta State & Ors. Successfully obtained judgment restraining VIOs from stopping private vehicles on the road and declared the issuance of Road Worthiness Certificate to private vehicle owners as unlawful.
3) Suit No.W/01/2015: Okiroro Iki Ebieroma Esq. vs. Gov. Delta State. An unsuccessful attempt to declare as unconstitutional the restriction of movement of persons and vehicles on envirinmental sanitation days. The appeal is pending at the SC.
4) CA/B/378/2016: Olukunle Edun v. Gov. Delta State. Unsuccessful attempt to challenge the constitutionality and also stop the humongous sums and benefits being given to former Governors and Deputy Governors of Delta State as pensions and gratuity. Both the trial court and Court of Appeal held that the Claimant lacked the requsite locus standing. Appeal now pending at the SC.
5) Suit No.W/377/2015: Olukunle Edun vs. Gov. Delta State. Successfully obtained judgment under the FOI Act, 2015 demanding for information from the Delta State government regarding the 13% derivation receipts.
6) Suit No. FHC/WR/CS/90/2017: Darlington Ugo Ehirim Esq. v. FRSC. Successfully obtained judgment declaring that the FRSC has no right to carry out their activities on roads belonging to States and municipal governments.
7) Suit No.W/256/2016: Frederick Tuoyo Egbe Esq. v. Chief Registrar, Delta State High Court. Unsuccessfully challenged the unilateral and unlawful imposition of court filing fees by the Governor of Delta State without complying with the provisions of the law. Matter now on appeal.
9) Suit No.W/386/2014: Michael Ukusare Esq & Ors v. Delta State House of Assembly. Another successful action under the FOI Act, 2015 pursued under the auspices of NBA Warri.
10) Suit No. FHC/ASB/CS/14/2017: Tareri Avwomakpa Esq. v. DG, DSS: Successful action challenging the unlawful remand of the Plaintiff by the DSS.
11) Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/281/2019: Olukunle Edun vs. Code of Conduct Burea; Mr. Danladi Umar. Action challenging the refusal of the Defendants to honour an FOI request for the assets and liabilities declarations of Mr. Mr. Danladi Umar. Still pending.
There are more than 20 other pro bono public interest cases and appeals pending at various High Courts, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court ,all bordering on the rule of law.
OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SOCIETY
1, Formerly, Team Lead, CDHR, Delta State Chapter.
2) Regular contributor on television/radio programnes on the Rule of law and public causes.
3) Published numerous articles in the national dailies on contemporary legal and public interest issues.
4) Declared ‘ Constitutional Militant ” by the Vanguard newspaper of Tuesday, October 27, 2015.
5) Founding Administrator, NBA matters 1, 2 & 3; NBA Publicity Forum; NBA Publicity Secretary Forum.
MEMBERSHIP/CONFERENCES ATTENDED
1) International Bar Association…11th Annual Anti Corruption Conference (Paris 2012)
2) International Bar Association Anti Discrimination Conference (New York 2012).
3) IBA Conference, Washington 2016.
4) Nigerian Bar Association (attended all conferences from 2012 till date).
5) IBA Conference, Seoul 2019.
6) Executive Director, Centre for Democracy and Defenders of Human Rights.
Kunle Edun is happily married to Ngozi Edun and both have three beautiful girls and a handsome son.
Kunle would be running for the office of the National Welfare Secretary of the NBA.