IN the cathedral of Nigerian jurisprudence, where many occupy the pews but few ascend the pulpit of transformative impact, Dr. Kayode Abraham Ajulo, SAN, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Ondo State, stands as an inspired vessel—a legal alchemist, reformer, and transgenerational symbol of purposeful leadership. Since assuming office, Ajulo has not merely discharged duty—he has authored a new jurisprudential narrative for Ondo State. With uncommon vision, he has injected a spirit of dynamism into the legal system, unshackling it from archaic procedures and steering it towards modern, responsive, and people-focused justice delivery. From pioneering the Anti-Land Grabbing Law, to instituting a Criminal Records Database, and championing digital access to legal services, Ajulo’s tenure is defined by results, not rhetoric. His interventions have repositioned Ondo State’s judiciary as a progressive template in sub-national legal governance.
But perhaps more significantly, Ajulo’s intercontinental pedigree—having studied, practiced, and lectured across borders—continues to be an asset to Nigeria. His cosmopolitan legal scholarship has birthed numerous elucidatory papers on constitutional order, rights-based jurisprudence, judicial autonomy, and the intersection of law and development. Through these interventions, he has drawn global attention to Ondo State’s justice ecosystem and elevated its stature among reform-focused jurisdictions. A relentless human rights advocate, Ajulo has remained uncompromising in his convictions. His voice remains unfaltering in defense of the voiceless. His office, far from dulling his activism, has become a megaphone for institutional justice and ethical governance. What distinguishes him further is that he is not just creating change—he is cultivating changemakers. This was recognized by the Nigerian Bar Association, which—for the first time in its distinguished history—established the NBA Mentoring Committee and made him the pioneer Chairman to mentor thousands of old and young lawyers in his honour. This is a rare institutional salute to Ajulo’s tireless commitment to mentoring young lawyers, and a testament to the powerful legacy he is already forging.
In an era when mentorship is waning in the legal profession, Ajulo has revived it with bold clarity, investing his time, wisdom, and platform to shape the next generation of legal giants which I am bold and proud to be one of the beneficiaries and products of his mentorship. As an administrator of men and resources, his leadership is both judicious and inspiring. He has seamlessly blended law and philosophy, intellect and empathy, tradition and modernity. Dr. Kayode Ajulo is also a cultural nationalist and tourism advocate, who sees heritage not as nostalgia, but as a civic asset that must be preserved, promoted, and woven into policy. His reverence for the legal profession is priestly—he believes the Judiciary must not just be respected but protected, enshrined as the moral compass of society. He remains among the few young legal luminaries who strictly adhere to the noble ethics of the profession, setting an example in decorum, restraint, and moral courage. His integrity is not performative—it is constitutional Ajulo is a selfless fellow who put service before comfort ,hence , he promptly responded to the call to serve his native Ondo State leaving the city of Abuja when H.E. Lucky Orimisan Ayedatiwa beckoned him to be his Attorney General. His efforts and strides as a nationalist and a statesman was acknowledged by the past immediate President of Nigeria, Alhaji Muhamadu Buhari, GCFR who conferred on him Officer of the Order of Nigeria, OON.
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A humble intellectual, philosopher by temperament, patriot by passion, and jurist by divine ordination, Ajulo is a gem sculpted by the divine for service far beyond the moment. He is not just serving Ondo State. He is engraving his name on the pillars of legal evolution in Nigeria. May God bless and sustain this remarkable young man with a rare vision for a greater mission. Greater him.
•Ojo-Lanre writes in from Usi-Ekiti
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