• PROTESTS ROCK PLANNED ELECTION
• IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR CORDELIA EKE RESTORED TO WHATSAPP GROUP

The crisis rocking the planned election of officers to run the affairs of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Port Harcourt Branch peaked yesterday as members vigorously protested the plan by the Caretaker Committee to hold the election yesterday.

It reportedly took a combined team of Police and Directorate of State Services (DSS) operatives to calm frayed nerves as some lawyers vowed that the election would not hold unless there was certainty about the voters’ register.

Though the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Mr. Idris Abayomi Shehu had told CITY LAWYER on the eve of the election that the election would proceed as scheduled, it was gathered that the committee reversed itself and postponed the election “indefinitely,” perhaps to await the outcome of today’s meeting with NBA President.

CITY LAWYER gathered that NBA President, Mr. Afam Osigwe SAN stormed Port Harcourt yesterday to ensure that matters did not get out of ahead.

In a notice seen by CITY LAWYER, Osigwe will today at 2 pm meet with key stakeholders including the candidates, past chairmen of the branch as well as Chairmen of NBA Branches in Rivers State. Aside from pointing the way forward for the troubled election, the meeting is likely to also discuss issues surrounding the hosting of the association’s Annual General Conference (AGC) in Port Harcourt.

CITY LAWYER recalls that allegation of rigging has been made against the Caretaker Committee, though Shehu denies it.

Also, the immediate past Chairman of the branch Cordelia Eke has been restored to the branch WhatsApp platform. CITY LAWYER had yesterday reported that Eke was sensationally removed from the platform after raising a poser on alleged delay in release of the voters’ register.

CITY LAWYER had in a special report x-rayed the issues surrounding the election, even as different camps jostle for an upper-hand in the power contest.

Below is the full text of the notice on today’s meeting.

NOTICE OF MEETING

Dear Distinguished Colleagues,

This is to inform you all that the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, will hold a meeting with the following:

1. All candidates in the forthcoming NBA Port Harcourt Branch election.
2. Chairmen of all branches in Rivers State
3. All past Chairmen of NBA Port Harcourt branch.

Date: Saturday, 25th July 2026

Time: 2:00 p.m..

Venue: NBA HOUSE, Port Harcourt.

Your attendance is very important, please.

Thank you.

Signed
Sabastine Anyia, Esq.
NBA 1st Vice President

(C) CITY LAWYER Magazine. All rights reserved. To join our Channel, click here. Click here to join our WhatsApp chatroom. Contact us at citylawyermag@gmail.com or 081-3838-0083.