Michael Onyishi.

Lawyer in Litigation, Contracts, IP & Employment | Team Player Sharing Legal Tips for businesses via #Mike’sLawHacks. Driven to make an impact, a day at a time

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

@Chibuik57080063 @NWLRonline @LawPavilion @Chinaluemmanuel Ask questions for him to identify the document and also ensure the document passes other admissibility criteria.

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

@NajeebAdamu1 That is why it's the role of the convict not that of Counsel.

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

Happy Children’s Day to all the children globally.

Mathew 19:14 reminds us how precious children are as it states: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

May we protect, nurture, and celebrate them always.

#Children #HappyChildrenDay

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

Happy Salah to all our Muslim faithful!

May the blessings of this celebration never depart from our homes, filling them with peace, barakah, and joy.

#Salah #Faith #Blessed #EidBlessings #Eidmubarak

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

Interests, tribalism...

[James @MrJamesKe]

The saddest thing in politics is watching citizens defend the same system that keeps failing them.

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

👌

[Uncle Ruckus @Emarged]

“Until death, all defeat is psychological."

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

A prenup doesn’t mean you don’t love your partner. On the contrary, it simply means you’re being responsible and clear about who owns what in the union.

Marriage is about love, but protecting your assets is smart for both parties. It’d even keep you both in check.

Even if you’re already married, it’s not too late.

We have helped create a pre & even postnuptial agreement for clients and they have actual peace of mind.

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

TaxProMax is now dead. They feel the net is not catching enough fish.

From FIRS to NRS; TaxProMax to Rev360.

All beautifully engineered to widen the tax net and slim down our purchasing power, yet with no real implementation of the social contract.

🤦

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

@ThrillaRilla369 Even some smokers hates the smell when they're not the ones smoking it. Ciggs smells badly

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

@UsmanAbidemiEsq On a lighter note: Counsel what has horniness has to do with finances again 😢

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

I have a problem with what appears to be lack of consistency in approach by the Supreme Court.

For instance, see their approach in handling of two very similar arbitration cases involving the binding effect of arbitral awards on non-signatories.

Paul Usoro, SAN argued EMTS Ltd (9Mobile) v. AFDIN Ventures Ltd & Ors (SC/CV/1096/2024, decided 6 March 2026), when it was contended and clear that the Appellants were in contempt of Court. The respondents filed a preliminary objection pointing out that the Appellant had failed to pay the fines imposed by the lower courts and had not complied with the mandatory deposit into an escrow account under Order 6 Rule 3(5) of the Supreme Court Rules 2024. The appellant’s counsel did not even file a reply to the objection.

The Supreme Court I know in recent times will not even allow you to argue this appeal, let alone write judgment on it.

The Supreme Court expressly held that the preliminary objection was meritorious. It went further and expressed “firm disapproval” of the appellant’s “glaring and deliberate non-compliance” with both the Rules and the subsisting orders of the lower courts.
Yet, surprisingly, the Court still assumed jurisdiction and heard the appeal on the merits. It justified this by reminding itself that it is a policy court and invoking “the imperative of finality in arbitration jurisprudence,” commercial certainty, investor confidence, and the broader economic implications of arbitration in Nigeria.

On the substantive issue, the Court held that a non-signatory (here, EMTS/9Mobile) that was deeply intertwined in the transaction and derived substantial benefit from it could still be bound by the arbitral award. The court rightly applied the principles of implied consent, the benefit-burden rule, and the doctrine of separability.

Now contrast this with Metroline (Nig.) Ltd & Ors v. Dikko (2021) 16 NWLR (Pt. 1761) 422 (SC). The facts raised almost the identical substantive question: whether a special-purpose vehicle (Metshade Ltd) created by the parties, intimately involved in the joint-venture transaction, and deriving benefit from it, could be bound by an arbitral award even though it was not a signatory to the Joint Venture Agreement containing the arbitration clause.

In that case, however, the Supreme Court declined jurisdiction outright and struck out the appeal on a technical ground by upholding the preliminary objection.

I am not saying the EMTS decision is wrong. My concern is consistency. In both cases the Supreme Court acknowledged a serious procedural/jurisdictional bar. Yet it exercised discretion differently on virtually the same arbitration issue by waiving the bar in EMTS (in the name of policy and finality) but strictly enforced the constitutional/technical requirement in Metroline.

Consistency please.

Don't forget: A court will refuse to grant any audience or application (indulgence) to a party who is in flagrant violation of its order.

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

Happy Workers’ Day 2026.

You champions hold the world together. Cheers to greater, deserving rewards in a fair system 🥂.

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

@Morris_Monye Ibom Air? Or you mean comparatively?

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

@oku_yungx "👌"

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

@Ayomi_T0by @kusssman It could, but is not an absolute bar. There may be other circumstances that may compel the court to vary the bail terms.

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

Apostle Mike Esq. wishes you all a week filled with manifest results.

While wishing you a great week, let me remind my fellow legal practitioners that some cases with great facts are lost not because the law is against the facts, but because our pleadings and pre-litigation letters fail to properly mirror the relevant authorities on the point. Speed is important, but results are what your clients truly want.

Let your processes, correspondences, and court processes reflect the position of the authorities. Win the case from your office first, before you ever step into court. This is one of our tricks at Core law Advisors LP.

Again, have a blessed and productive week.

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

To redeem the whole creation, He did not despise the cross.

As we celebrate this Easter Sunday, we rejoice in the victory of hope over despair and light over darkness.

From all of us at CoreLaw Advisors LP, we wish you and your families a blessed and joyful Easter.

Happy Easter. #JesúsDeNazareth

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

Welcome to April 2026.

New month. New opportunities. Greater successes. At Corelaw Advisors LP, we’re ready to explore this fresh chapter with you, delivering trusted legal solutions every step of the way.

Happy New Month.

[Michael Onyishi. @ShugabaMike]

Eid Mubarak to all our Muslim brothers, sisters, friends, and valued clients. May this blessed Eid bring you peace, joy, and countless blessings. 🌙✨

#EidMubarak