NBA election: Candidates’ disqualification based on constitution – Prof Yadudu

The chairman of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), Professor Auwalu Yadudu, has disagreed with insinuations trailing the committee’s disqualification of some contestants.  One of the disqualified contestants for the July 28 election, Afam Osigwe, had accused the electoral body of being unfair in his disqualification from contesting the presidency of the […]

The chairman of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), Professor Auwalu Yadudu, has disagreed with insinuations trailing the committee’s disqualification of some contestants. 

One of the disqualified contestants for the July 28 election, Afam Osigwe, had accused the electoral body of being unfair in his disqualification from contesting the presidency of the association. 

But speaking with Daily Trust, Prof Yadudu said all the disqualification of the candidates was based on clearly defined provisions of the NBA constitution, explaining that contrary to earlier reports, the stakeholders only met once when they opened the nominations of the various offices. 

Prof Yadudu said the committee did not clear Osigwe’s submission initially but gave the contestants time to appeal. He said the panel went over their appeals and upheld some of the appeals but found no merit in his appeal and eventually disqualified him. 

“I am an election umpire, I don’t want them to be involved in the controversies. We disqualified candidates based on clearly stated provisions of the NBA Constitution,” he said.  

“Of course, it is left to anybody to interpret the section the way they wish. But we have a committee, five members, including a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and we hold no ill-will or favour to any of the candidates. We do our jobs as we understand the law to require us to do,” he added. 

Osigwe had claimed that the ECNBA disqualified him from contesting the NBA presidency on the grounds that he has not paid his annual dues and other financial obligations to his new branch at Nnewi, Anambra State.  

However, other candidates cleared, for the Eastern Zone, are: Arthur Obi-Okafor (SAN); Usoro Paul Usoro (SAN); and Professor Ernest Ojukwu (SAN). 

“There is nothing in Section 8(3)(a) of the NBA Constitution that requires such a person must has paid ‘his/her practicing fees and branch dues, as and when due, for three (3) consecutive years inclusive of the year of election,” he said.