NBA election: Concerns over voters’ list, ICT partner

The incomplete list of voters and the ICT company appointed as partner for the 2018 election of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has generated fresh concerns about the upcoming election. Of the 36,000 eligible voters on the Voters’ List for the NBA election verified as at last week, only about 12,000 voters, which is about […]

The incomplete list of voters and the ICT company appointed as partner for the 2018 election of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has generated fresh concerns about the upcoming election.

Of the 36,000 eligible voters on the Voters’ List for the NBA election verified as at last week, only about 12,000 voters, which is about 35 percent of the total voters, passed the verification, leaving out 24, 000 members for the online-based election billed for July 27 and 28.

One of the lawyers disqualified, who is also an executive member of the NBA Abuja branch, Ajibola Jimoh, protested his disqualification. Expressing surprise on why the system failed to recognize him, he said he is a financial member of the Bar.

Another subject of controversy is the choice of Chams Plc, an ICT company, as partner for the Bar election.The company is believed to be linked to one of the presidential candidates, Paul Usoro (SAN). 

At a meeting to resolve the ICT controversy, the presidential candidates: Arthur Obi-Okafor (SAN) and Prof. Ernest Ojukwu (SAN) were absent. But past presidents of the association: Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Joseph Daudu (SAN) and Okey Wali (SAN) agreed that the election be postponed to enable the issue of the voters’ list be settled.

But it was agreed that other ICT firms be included in the election exercise, particularly those of all the candidates to enable them monitor the harvest of online votes during the election to ensure the integrity of the process. 

A source familiar with the issues explained that while “Chams Plc will provide the e-voting platform, other ICT firms will conduct the pre-election and post-election verification and audit respectively.”

The source also hinted that according to the NBA Constitution, the election can even be postponed till after the Annual General Conference (AGC) of the Bar billed to hold in August subject to the ratification of the National Executive Committee (NEC).