Members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Port Harcourt Branch will tomorrow head to the poll to elect the next set of officers for the very influential branch.

The election is however coming amid a cloud of issues, including an alleged injunction barring the election and a meeting requisitioned by some branch members for Election Day.

Although a High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had issued an injunction barring the Caretaker Committee appointed by NBA President, Mr. Afam Osigwe SAN, from proceeding with the election, the committee chairman, Mr. Idris Abayomi Shehu told CITY LAWYER that the committee is in receipt of a Notice of Discontinuance of the lawsuit upon which the injunction was predicated. Justice Prince Chika Mini had after granting the injunction adjourned the substantive suit to September 21, 2026.

Meanwhile, the Caretaker Committee has come under heavy searchlight, with former Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) Governor, Mr. Soseipiriye Long Williams asking Shehu to resign due to alleged bias. He claimed that he has seen posts by Shehu in support of one of the candidates.

In an interview with CITY LAWYER, the committee chairman denied the charge, adding that he has no interest in who emerges chairman of the branch.

THE CANDIDATES

While many candidates have lined up for the testy contest, all eyes are on the chairmanship race which has four candidates. These include Chief Anthony Ezenwoko, Mr. John Owubokiri, Mr. Chinedu Maduba and Mr. Jonas Inayemana.

THE CAMPS

As usual, the election is likely to be run along the line of the entrenched camps in the branch, though there are strong indications that an emergent camp, the Proactive Group, may throw spanner in the works of the traditional camps. In fact, CITY LAWYER gathered that the group may upstage Integrity Group and Progressives Group, given that it is allegedly backed by NBA HOUSE.

CITY LAWYER gathered that while Owubokirinis being backed by the Integrity Group, the Progressives have thrown its weight behind Ezenwoko. Maduba is backed by the Proactive Group while Inayemana is seen as an ‘independent candidate.’

THE INJUNCTION

It is recalled that Justice Prince Chika Mini had in Suit Number: PHC/2580/CS/2026 ordered the caretaker committee to pause all activities relating to the election following a lawsuit brought by Eric Nyenke and Tamunodiepiriye Edward Bamson. The court held that “The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Defendants/Respondents (and their agents, servants, or privies) are restrained from taking any further steps toward conducting or preparatory to conducting the Branch Elections into various executive offices of the NBA, Port Harcourt Branch. This restriction lasts pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction.”

The respondents were Shehu, Azubuike Friday and Dr. Mrs. Hilda Desmond-Ihikare (all members of the three-member Caretaker Committee) as well as the Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association and Osigwe.

Following the issuance of the injunction, NBA Trustees and Osigwe, writing through their solicitor, Mr. Sammie Somiari SAN, urged the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, to re-assign the lawsuit to a vacation court given that Justice Mini had gone on vacation.

They noted that “The Interim Order granted by the Honourable Court on the 17th day of July, 2026 restrains the conduct of the election pending the hearing of the Claimants’ Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction which is coming up on the 21st day of September, 2026, two months after the scheduled date for the election.

“The restraint shall affect the conduct of the 2026 Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference, which is to take place in Port Harcourt from the 21st day of August, 2026 to the 28th day of August, 2026, as the executives to be elected are to be in charge of coordinating the 2026 Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference.”

The respondents noted that “The President of the Nigerian Bar Association is considering writing a petition to the National Judicial Council against the Honourable Judge for granting the said application Exparte on his last day of sitting before the vacation started, even while a sister case is pending before Honourable Justice S. H. Aprioku and brought to his attention in the application filed by the Claimants, particularly Ground One of the Exparte application.

“The Court of Appeal, Ibadan Judicial Division, in a similar matter with Appeal No.: CA/IB/110/2026 BETWEEN MR. AHAM EJELAM, SAN & 4 ORS V. IBRAHIM LAWAL, ESQ. & 7 ORS, dismissed a suit filed challenging the election of the Nigerian Bar Association, stating that a State High Court lacks the jurisdiction to entertain matters that touch, pertain to and concern Incorporated Trustees of an Association registered under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, in this instance the 4th Defendant.”

Some observers however argue that the NBA leadership did not consider the dictum by the appellate court when it “speedily” complied with a similar injunction by a Rivers State High Court which barred the branch Electoral Committee from holding the election as earlier scheduled, noting that the respondents were not even parties to the earlier suit but chose to be bound by it. They allege that it was part of a larger plan by NBA HOUSE to foist a leadership on the branch via its hand-picked Caretaker Committee. Shehu vigorously denies the charge of bias.

However, there are strong indications that the injunction may have been spent, following a Notice of Discontinuance filed by the plaintiffs and served on the Caretaker Committee.

CARETAKER COMMITTEE AND VOTERS’ REGISTER

The performance of the Caretaker Committee has come under severe searchlight from stakeholders. Aside from the allegations by Long-Williams, at least one chairmanship candidate, Inayemana, told CITY LAWYER that his “greatest concern” was the issue of “electoral integrity.” He stated that the committee has not acquitted itself very well, adding that it has failed to carry the candidates along.

He stated that aside from a meeting held with the candidates on June 27, 2026, a day after the committee was appointed, the committee has not met with the candidates ever since, even as it allegedly resiled from its request that each chairmanship candidate should appoint an agent to join the committee members to clean up the voters’ register.

He argued that the committee is proceeding with the election even as its appointment is yet to be ratified by the National Executive Council (NEC), adding that though it is supposed to operate based on branch resolutions, it has failed to summon any branch meeting since its inauguration.

He alleged that in the final list of voters published by the Caretaker Committee, names of two of his nominators were “expunged” from the list, adding that the names of many of his agents and supporters are missing also from the final voters’ register.

He described the Caretaker Committee as “illegal,” adding that the circumstances for appointing such a committee was absent at the point it was appointed. “As we speak, the final voters’ list has not been published by the committee barely 12 hours to the election,” he said.

CITY LAWYER gathered that while 1,095 members made the provisional list earlier published by the committee, the list was pruned to 821 voters on the final voters’ register. It was however gathered that many members protested their exclusion from the list.

Shehu told CITY LAWYER that about 50 complaints were received regarding exclusion from the final voters’ register, adding that all the petitions had been resolved to the satisfaction of the complainants. He assured that an “Addendum” to the voters’ register would be published today.

He told CITY LAWYER that the July 17 ex-parte injunction torpedoed the work of the committee, adding that it is the same set of people who procured the injunction that are accusing the committee of tardiness.

On the claim that he was campaigning for one of the chairmanship candidates, Shehu vowed that he has no interest in who emerges as chairman, adding that he is not a “mercenary” hired to do the bidding of NBA HOUSE.

IS MADUBA THE ANOINTED ONE?

It has been speculated that Maduba is favoured by NBA HOUSE to lead the branch, adding that tomorrow’s election is a mere  coronation exercise.

But in an interview with CITY LAWYER, Maduba said that he is only interested in a free, fair and credible election. He said there is no proof that Shehu has ever campaigned for him, adding that he who asserts must prove. He stated that he would have advised Shehu to resign if the claim was factual, as he would not want to be associated with a tainted electoral mandate.

AN APPELLATE TWIST IN THE TALE

Perhaps to ensure that it is not caught by an accusation of disobedience of court order, the Incorporated Trustees of the NBA and Osigwe have now filed a Notice of Motion at the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt against the order of Justice Mini barring the election.

In the Notice of Appeal seen by CITY LAWYER, the Appellants are seeking the following orders:

AN ORDER OF THIS HONOURABLE COURT for departure from the rules of this honourable court and allowing the Appellants to rely on the Records of Appeal compiled and transmitted by the Appellants while the time of the Registry of the lower court to compile and transmit the said Records of Appeal was still running.

AN ORDER OF STAY OF EXECUTION of the Ruling of the High Court of Rivers State sitting in Port Harcourt delivered by Hon. Justice P. C. Mini in SUIT NO.: PHC/2580/CS/2026 BETWEEN ERIC NYENKE ESQ. & ANOR V. IDRIS ABAYOMI SHEHU ESQ. & 4 ORS on the \(17^{\text{th}}\) day of July, 2026, pending the hearing and determination of the Applicants’ appeal with Appeal No. CA/PH/751/2026 THE INCORPORATED TRUSTEES OF THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION & ANOR V. ERIC NYENKE ESQ & 4 ORS before the Court of Appeal.

AN ORDER OF INJUNCTION PENDING APPEAL against the Respondents herein from giving effect or life to the said order made on the \(17^{\text{th}}\) day of July, 2026 by the lower court coram Hon. Justice P. C. Mini of the Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt in suit number PHC/2580/CS/2026.

AN ORDER OF STAY OF PROCEEDINGS in SUIT NO.: PHC/2580/CS/2026 BETWEEN ERIC NYENKE ESQ. & ANOR V. IDRIS ABAYOMI SHEHU ESQ. & 4 ORS pending the hearing and determination of this appeal.

AND FOR SUCH FURTHER OR OTHER ORDER(S) as this Honourable Court may seem fit to make in the circumstances.

However, a footnote on the processes shows the name “CHINEDU MADUBA.” A trending post titled “THE SMOKING GUN: 5 PAGES OF EVIDENCE EXPOSING NATIONAL NBA COLLUSION IN PORT HARCOURT BRANCH ELECTION CRISIS” alleges that the footnote is the clearest evidence that NBA HOUSE is hand in glove with Maduba. CITY LAWYER could not independently confirm the authenticity of the footnote, even as calls to Maduba for clarification were unanswered.

SPECTRE OF ETHNIC POLITICS

There are strong indications that ethnic politics may have crept into the election. CITY LAWYER gathered that one of the camps is pushing the narrative that no non-indigene should be allowed to ascend the chairmanship throne. If this narrative gains traction, it may throw spanner in the works especially for Maduba and Ezenwoko who are from the Igbo ethnic stock.

Reacting to this narrative, Maduba stated that the branch “belongs to every member,” adding that the NBA Constitution is blind to tribe.

Saying that “where I am from is immaterial,” he argued that “When we pay branch dues or go through difficulties as legal practitioners, no-one talks about tribe. Why now? I do not like when where you come from becomes an issue. The focus should be on what you are offering to the Bar. Whoever the Bar chooses wins. Posterity will judge all of us on what we did or did not do.”

He also dispelled the allegation that his candidacy is being promoted by NBA HOUSE, saying that it is the branch members that would choose their officers in a secret ballot.

When CITY LAWYER telephoned Ezenwoko and Owubokiri, the calls rang out without response.

POSTSCRIPT

It is safe to say that all is set for the branch elections come tomorrow, given that the Caretaker Committee does not seem to be seriously considering summoning the meeting requisitioned by some members.

It is however unclear how a Notice of Emergency Meeting signed by “MEMBERS OF NBA PORT HARCOURT BRANCH” can torpedo the election. The notice reads: “NOTICE OF EMERGENCY MEETING.: TAKE NOTICE THAT ALL MEMBERS OF NIGERIA BAR ASSOCIATION , PORT HARCOURT BRANCH SHALL HAVE AN EMERGENCY MEETING TOMORROW BEING FRIDAY THE 24TH OF JULY, 2026 AT THE NYESOM WIKE MEETING HALL, NBA PORT HARCOURT BRANCH HOUSE, BY 10AM. DETAILS OF THE AGENDA ARE AS CONTAINED IN THE ABOVE NOTICE.
SIGNED: BY MEMBERS OF NBA PORT HARCOURT BRANCH.”

If the election holds, it remains to be seen whether the allegation of bias on the part of members of the Caretaker Committee will evaporate or whether its decibel will notch up after tomorrow’s election.

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