A claim that an alleged boycott of the recent Egbe Amofin Annual Conference by the camp of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) presidential candidate, Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya SAN led to a poor turn-out of lawyers at the conference has sparked a viral debate among lawyers.

The report, seen by CITY LAWYER, was titled “Hall Empty as Members Stay Away from Egbe Amofin Conference Amid Discontent Over Akinboro Adoption,” showing a video clip with many visibly empty seats.

But at least one Bar Leader attacked the allegation, berating the author for the claim.

The report reads:

“The Annual General Conference of Egbe Amofin Oodua held in Ile-Ife witnessed a noticeably low turnout, according to observations from attendees and videos circulating from the venue.

“The development comes amid growing unease within sections of the association over its decision to adopt Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, as its preferred candidate for the forthcoming Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) presidential election.

“Members of the association have expressed concerns over what they view as an attempt to limit the freedom of members and disenfranchise them from supporting candidates of their choice.

“One member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that he and several others deliberately stayed away from the meeting in protest against the association’s position on the election.

“According to him, “Many of us chose not to attend because we do not believe any group should dictate who lawyers should support in the NBA election. Every lawyer should be free to make that decision without pressure or directives from any association.”

“The member further stated that the NBA presidency should be determined by the votes of lawyers across the country and not by endorsements that create the impression of a predetermined outcome.

“The low attendance has since generated discussions among members of the legal profession, with some observers interpreting it as a sign of growing dissatisfaction among lawyers who oppose efforts to rally support around a single candidate.”

Responding to the post, NBA-SPIDEL Financial Secretary, Barbara Onwubiko wrote: “What kind of campaign of calamity is this, especially coming from a Bold supporter? This is ‘unlawyerly’. Please note that the Akinboro SAN is most qualified for the position he seeks, and the same applies to Akangbe SAN. I cannot say the same about your candidate. If it were not for some lawyers not being deep thinkers and not genuinely wanting the best for the Bar, we wouldn’t find ourselves in the situation we are in today. This is actually unfortunate.”

While the BBOLD camp has not confirmed boycotting the annual conference, the Egbe Amofin leadership is yet to react to the trending report.

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