A human rights attorney and ex-Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, claims that some powerful groups are seeking to influence the forthcoming Nigerian Bar Association presidential vote by aiming for a situation where only one contender stands without competition.
The NBA is set to choose its 33rd president next month, as three Nigerian Senior Advocates—Omoyemi Akangbe, Muyiwa Akinboro, and Oyinkansola Badejo-Okunsanya—are running for the position.
In a sequence of tweets on X on Tuesday, Odinkalu outlined that the NBA leadership changes between the nation's three traditional areas—East, North, and West—and that this year's vote was assigned to the Western Area.
As he stated, the Western Region consists of two unofficial groups: the Egbe Amofin O’odua, which represents the six South-Western states, and the Mid-West Bar, consisting of Edo and Delta states.
He mentioned that the Midwest Bar decided against putting forward a nominee, allowing contestants from the Southwest to compete.
Odinkalu claimed that the Egbe Amofin O'odua supported Akinboro and aimed to block other contenders from joining the election.
"In this election cycle, the Egbe Amofin has decided to support Muyiwa Akinboro as their favored nominee," he stated.
They have taken steps to push for the NBA to prevent other contenders from participating in the competition, allowing Mr. Akinboro to run without opposition. However, this would be unjust towards those outside the Egbe Amofin and the broader NBA community.
He contended that this action would weaken the organization's constitutional and structural foundation.
"It would also represent a significant challenge to the constitutional and structural framework of the Association," Odinkalu stated.
A senior attorney also stated that the group had petitioned the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan for an injunction halting the NBA's voting procedures.
To emphasize their request, the Egbe Amofin approached the High Court of Oyo State in Ibadan seeking a legal ruling to halt the NBA's election period until their demands are met," he claimed, noting that "the case has faced an uncertain delay.
Odinkalu further claimed that certain parties were planning to push for the designation of an independent manager to supervise the NBA should their conditions remain unfulfilled.
"They are also warning that if they don't succeed in getting the Attorney-General of the Federation to 'nationalize' the Association and appoint a single administrator," he stated.
Regrettably, for them, the NBA functions as an NGO; there is no legal structure in place to attain this objective.
He further encouraged attorneys to support the association's "One Lawyer, One Vote" voting mechanism for elections, claiming that one of the presidential contenders plans to eliminate it upon taking office.
"If you're a young attorney in Nigeria, there's a presidential contender in this vote who aims to eliminate One Lawyer, One Vote should he come into power. Reflect on whether that aligns with your desires," he stated.
Odinkalu also emphasized the nomination of Oyinkansola Badejo-Okunsanya, pointing out that she has the potential to be the first female to win the position of NBA president through direct election.
"Since 2006, for the first time this year, there is a woman listed who genuinely has a strong and viable opportunity to become the first woman ever directly elected as the President of the NBA and just the second female president in the organization's history," he wrote.
As of when this report was submitted, neither the NBA nor the people referred to in Odinkalu's statements had made any public response to the accusations.
Supplied by SyndiGate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).