Embattled Bar aspirant, Mr. Kayode Bello has provided additional grounds to support his petition against the candidacy of a leading Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) presidential aspirant, Mr. Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau SAN.

In an email to the Secretary of the Electoral “Commission” of the Nigerian Bar Association dated May 2, 2022 and copied to CITY LAWYER among others, Bello wrote: “Please kindly find attached my petition against Mr. YC Maikyau with amendment and more documents.” Among those copied are the United Nations, United States Embassy in Nigeria and the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC).

He cited Section 10 of the NBA Constitution (as amended) and argued that “In my own view, this proviso of the Constitution implies that the grounds are not limited to the grounds specified in the second schedule of the NBA constitution, 2015 (as amended in 2021).”

The letter was titled “AMENDMENT/ADDENDUM TO RE: PETITON AGAINST Y. C. MAIKYAU AT THE LEGAL PRACTITIONERS’ PRIVILEGES COMMITTEE: NEED FOR PROPER SCRUTINY AND SUSPENSION OF Y. C. MAIKYAU’S CANDIDATURE AS NBA PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANT.”

Bello, who was expelled from the Nigerian Law School for alleged misconduct, then cited Section 9(3)(f) of the NBA Constitution and argued that “The intendment given and the intention of the draftsmen of the NBA Constitution are that those who aspire to become the President and General Secretary of the Association must be of proven, impeccable, and unimpeachable character, and if there is any evidence adduced as such in this case as against Mr. Y. C. Maikyau, such evidence of conspiracy and disobedience of Court Order (Contempt of Court) by Mr. Y. C. Maikyau according to Sections 133 and 126 of the Nigerian Criminal Code (sic).”

He concluded that he “would be glad and ready to forward and present more facts or information if or when needed.”

Bello proceeded to attach several documents relating to his face-off with the Nigerian Law School, the ensuing court battle and his petition against Maikyau at the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC).

It is recalled that CITY LAWYER had in an exclusive report cited the initial petition by Bello who based the ground of his petition on section 20 (1)(f) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Constitution 2021 (as amended) which states that “A National Officer may be removed from office where he /she is involved in an act or behavior that brings or is likely to bring the Association into disrepute.‘’

He had urged the ECNBA “to suspend the candidature of Mr. Y. C. Maikyau as the NBA presidential Aspirant, pending the determination of the disciplinary case against him at the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC) for his misconduct.”

While Maikyau declined comment on the petition, it was unclear at press time whether the electoral committee has taken a decision on the petition.

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