Gadzama seeks disqualification of Mahmoud’s nominees to Arewa Elders Committee

 Ahead of the meeting of seven members  of Arewa Elders Committee to resolve the issue of the adoption of a candidate for NBA Presidency in the 2016 election, Chief Joe Kyari Gadzama (SAN) has asked the forum’s leadership to disqualify two nominees of Abdul B. Mahmoud (SAN) to the committee. The Arewa Screening Committee had […]

 Ahead of the meeting of seven members  of Arewa Elders Committee to resolve the issue of the adoption of a candidate for NBA Presidency in the 2016 election, Chief Joe Kyari Gadzama (SAN) has asked the forum’s leadership to disqualify two nominees of Abdul B. Mahmoud (SAN) to the committee.
The Arewa Screening Committee had recommended candidates for adoption in the election and also endorsed Gadzama for adoption as Arewa Presidential candidate, but Mahmoud rejected the recommendation and moved for outright rejection of the panel’s report. 
However, this did not go down well with majority of Arewa members at the meeting, and after extensive deliberations, the meeting resolved to send the recommendations to a seven-member Arewa Elders Committee to resolve. The Presidential aspirants: Gadzama and Mahmoud would bring three members each and the forum’s executive committee is to bring one person who would double as chairman of the committee.
Mahmoud had sent the names of former NBA President, Joseph B. Daudu (SAN), Yusuf Ali (SAN) and Dr. Garba Tetengi (SAN) as his representatives in the committee. But  in a letter to the leadership of Arewa  titled: “Humble protest against two proposed nominees by A. B. Mahmoud which was copied to the Chairman and Secretary of the Selection Committee, Garba Pwul (SAN) and Luka Haruna respectively, Gadzama said:“Please recall that at the last ALF general meeting held in Kaduna on Friday, January 30, 2015, it was unanimously resolved that both presidential aspirants should forward names of three  nominees each, of Northern extraction, for the purpose of constituting the seven-man Committee of Elders to look into the report of the Electoral Screening Committee which recommended Chief J-K Gadzama (SAN)  for adoption.
“My attention has been drawn to the fact that my brother and friend, A. B. Mahmoud (SAN) has nominated the following distinguished and respected members of the Bar, J. B. Daudu (SAN) , Mallam Yusuf Ali, (SAN), Dr. Garba Tetengi ( SAN) as his members for the committee.
“While conceding  the fact that the trio,  the above  nominees are respected Bar leaders, renowned achievers and jolly good fellows, the  first and second  nominees are not qualified to be appointed into the seven-man Committee of Elders. Mr. J. B. Daudu (SAN) has since left ALF and founded Middle Belt Lawyers’ Forum and he is now the Forum’s Alter Ego; he has not attended ALF for the past six years, Mallam Yusuf Ali (SAN) is an indigene of Ifetedo in Osun State and a member of Egbe Amofin (South West Bar Forum).
“By our Constitution, Bye-laws, Policy and Tradition, our members must not only be of Northern extraction, they must also not belong to any of the other regional fora. In the circumstances, I urge your Excellency and the Executive Committee to unhesitatingly disqualify the first and second nominees of A. B. Mahmoud (SAN).
“Although time to substitute the said two proposed unqualified nominees had lapsed, I do not, in my usual magnanimity, mind if my brother and friend is granted extension of time to substitute. Please do recall that I have not raised the issue of my brother and friend’s disqualification for not attending ALF meetings for over six years, owing to the same spirit of magnanimity,” Gadzama stated.