NBA 2018 election: Eastern lawyers angry over adoption
Lawyers from the eastern part of Nigeria have reacted angrily to developments, penultimate Saturday, during the quarterly meeting of the Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) in Port Harcourt, where a single candidate (out of four representing the zone) was adopted, disregarding a motion raised by other members opposing the move. Five potential candidates from EBF were […]
Lawyers from the eastern part of Nigeria have reacted angrily to developments, penultimate Saturday, during the quarterly meeting of the Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) in Port Harcourt, where a single candidate (out of four representing the zone) was adopted, disregarding a motion raised by other members opposing the move.
Five potential candidates from EBF were jostling for the office of president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
However, the last EBF meeting in Port Harcourt, penultimate Saturday adopted one of the candidates disregarding the motions raised to oppose the adoption.
Members of the bar within and outside the region who are opposed to the move argued that the current universal suffrage method adopted by the NBA, renders the endorsement of the EBF ineffective and as such every candidate of the zone must be given a fair chance to campaign and win votes
In fact, many who responded to questions from our correspondent expressed deep discontent with the outcome of the meeting.
Barrister Clinton, a member of the zone said, “The EBF adoption is just another wash party. We are going with universal suffrage, hence our total disregard for all that took place in Port Harcourt as not the true position of affairs within the NBA.”
Several lawyers from the zone remain confident that the adoption will be of no avail.
Their words: “We are in a new dispensation in our voting system and as such, the Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) should have been dynamic enough to change its pattern with changing trends.”
“Except we are saying the EBF has an analog system that can’t be changed,” Clinton said.
“The EBF can adopt whoever it likes. Thank God, we are not going for a regional election,” Chidi Ifeonye said. The outcome of the EBF adoption was an open secret. It was lopsided and one-sided, because before it took place, everyone knew who the winner would be. Sincerely though, EBF is what I would describe this time around as bad market to any candidate who allows himself to be roped into adoption. To be forewarned is to be forearmed,” said Francis Nworah.