Senior lawyer, Mr. Jibrin Okutepa SAN has called on the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) “to treat the requests of auditing with urgency it deserves.”

CITY LAWYER recalls that runner-up in the NBA presidential election Tobenna Erojikwe has urged the ECNBA to audit the election while Mr. Chukwuka Ikwuazom SAN demanded access to the election server and related documents.

His views are supported by the Nigerian Law School teacher, Mr. Sylvester Udemezue who said: “I think we should wait for the audit already requisitioned. And I suggest NBA should conduct the audit to clear the air.”

According to Okutepa, by granting the audit request, “the Petitioners would have been assured that nobody is ignoring them. After all, clear conscience should not be afraid of accusations.”

He stated that he is an advocate of transparent democratic processes, noting that NBA elections cannot continue to generate controversies every two years since the introduction of online voting.

JIBRIN OKUTEPA SAN

The request for auditing the elections of NBA is welcomed by me. I am an advocate of transparent democratic processes. NBA elections cannot continue to generate controversies every two years since the introduction of online voting.

While I have not seen what the issues are in this election, those who called for auditing of the elections are not less members of NBA. It is their right. Let us not trivialize it.

I have no reason to dismiss their claims. I also have no reason to support the allegations that those who won were aided and abetted to win by fraudulent manipulations. I voted in this elections and not all the candidates I voted won.

I call on the ECNBA and leadership of NBA to treat the requests of auditing with urgency it deserves. That way, the Petitioners would have been assured that nobody is ignoring them. After all, clear conscience should not be afraid of accusations.

SYLVESTER UDEMEZUE 

These allegations would have made a lot of sense if one had provided any shred of evidence of the alleged fraud or manipulations in the last election. Up till now, no one has provided any evidence anywhere, that the election was compromised. I can’t see any yet! All I have seen are mere unproven allegations, speculations and suspicions from the 1st and 2nd runners-up and their fans.

I think we should wait for the audit already requisitioned. And I suggest NBA should conduct the audit to clear the air. But until the investigations are conducted and concluded, we shouldn’t be hasty in reaching groundless conclusions about mere unsubstantiated allegations against the ECNBA and the election process.