BAR COUNCIL

‘MAIKYAU, BALA, OTHERS WON’T BE SWORN IN IF…,’ SAYS APPEALS C’TE

The 2022 NBA Election Appeals Committee (NBA-NEAC)  has vowed that no elected candidate from the recent NBA Elections would be sworn in until it has decided any petition against the elected officer.

The NBA-NEAC stated this in its Guidelines for filing petitions on the elections.

According to the Committee, “The decision of the NBA-NEAC shall be rendered, and notified in writing to the Petitioner and the Respondents, before the swearing-in of the elected National Officers or before the
Representatives of the Association in the General Council of the Bar takes office.”

NBA-NEAC however stated that “whenever the circumstances dictate, the Committee may reserve its right to defer giving the full reasons for its decision to a later date.”

The statement reads: “As you already know, the election into the National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the General Council of the Bar (GCB), took place on Saturday, the 16th day of July 2022. The result of the election was consequently announced on Sunday, the 17th day of July 2022.

“In line with the provisions of Section 14(1)(L) of the NBA Constitution 2015 (as amended in 2021), the NBA President, Mr. Olumide Akpata had set up the 2022 NBA Election Appeals Committee (NBA-NEAC) with the mandate to amongst other responsibilities, receive and determine complaints and disputes (Petition) from candidates who took part in the elections of National Officers and Representatives of the NBA in the GCB.

“It is expected that a Petitioner shall send his/her Petition with supporting documents to NBA-NEAC by email to electionappeal@nigerianbar.org.ng within Ten (10) days of the announcement of the election results by the ECNBA.”

Click here for the full text of the guidelines.

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AIKPOKPO, EDUN, RAPULU, AGADA, ANAGOR SET FOR BAR COUNCIL POLL

Several members of the current Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) National Executive Committee will be vying for positions in the forthcoming NBA National Officers and General Council of the Bar Elections slated for July 16, 2022, CITY LAWYER can authoritatively report.

While some of the aspirants have confirmed that they would be vying for the election, impeccable sources told CITY LAWYER that the other officers have also filed nominations for the elections.

There are strong indications that all the aspirants are gunning for positions in the General Council of the Bar.

Impeccable sources told CITY LAWYER that the incumbent National Officers have thrown their hats into the electoral ring are NBA First Vice President, Mr. John Aikpokpo-Martins; Welfare Secretary, Mr. Kunle Edun; Treasurer, Mercy Ajato Agada and Financial Secretary, Mr. Raphael Nnamdi Anagor.

While highly reliable sources told CITY LAWYER that incumbent Publicity Secretary, Dr. Rapulu Nduka had expressed interest in the position, it was unclear at press time whether he was able to beat the deadline for submission of nomination forms.

Section 10 (1) of the NBA Constitution (as amended) provides that “There shall be established an independent body to be known as the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (hereinafter called “the ECNBA”) to conduct elections into National Offices of the Association and election of the representatives of the Association in the General Council of the Bar.”

The ECNBA had issued notices calling for nominations for the election of National Officers and representatives in the General Council of the Bar.

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MORE ASPIRANTS EMERGE FOR NBA ELECTIONS

Following the publication of list of aspirants for the forthcoming Nigerian Bar Assocaition (NBA) Election, more aspirants have confirmed to CITY LAWYER their interest in the election.

Among those who have confirmed submission of nomination forms to CITY LAWYER are Mr. Abdullahi Muhammad, immediate past Secretary of NBA Gwagwalada Branch who is gunning for the post of NBA Third Vice President; Mr. Ebuka Nwaeze, former Secretary and erstwhile Financial Secretary of Unity Bar who has put in papers for the General Council of the Bar (GCB), and Mr. Abdulssalam Mohammed Saleh, Welfare Secretary at Unity Bar who is vying for the post of Assistant General Secretary.

Also confirmed are Sir Samuel Nwosu, outgoing NBA Ukwa Branch Chairman; Adaeze Anah of NBA Abuja Branch and Mr. Daud Sulaiman of NBA Gwagwalada Branch who are all vying for the position of NBA Representative in the General Council of the Bar and .

There are strong indications that the list of aspirants will be more than what is already in the public domain when the electoral committee publishes it.

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COPYRIGHT 2022 CITY LAWYER. Please send emails to citylawyermag@gmail.com. Join us on Facebook at https://web.facebook.com/City-Lawyer-Magazine-434937936684320 and on TWITTER at https://twitter.com/CityLawyerMag. To ADVERTISE in CITY LAWYER, please email citylawyermag@gmail.com or call 08138380083. All materials available on this Website are protected by copyright, trade mark and other proprietary and intellectual property laws. You may not use any of our intellectual property rights without our express written consent or attribution to www.citylawyermag.com. However, you are permitted to print or save to your individual PC, tablet or storage extracts from this Website for your own personal non-commercial use.

  • EMEKA NWADIOKE
  • Apr 20, 2022
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  • Comments Off on MORE ASPIRANTS JOIN NBA ELECTION RACE, SUBMIT NOMINATION FORMS

MORE ASPIRANTS JOIN NBA ELECTION RACE, SUBMIT NOMINATION FORMS

More aspirants have confirmed that they submitted Nomination Forms for the forthcoming Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) elections into the General Council of the Bar and the National Executive Council.

Virtually all the aspirants who CITY LAWYER predicted in its earlier report would join the race confirmed that they had submitted their nomination forms. Aside from Linda Rose Bala and Ede Asenoguan whose close aides confirmed their submission, the other aspirants confirmed the submission of their nomination forms to CITY LAWYER.

There are strong indications that many aspirants submitted their nomination forms yesterday, even as there may be a few new entrants during the elections. Former NBA Welfare Secretary, Mr. Joshua Enemali and longstanding NBA rapporteur Anne Agi told CITY LAWYER that they have submitted nomination forms to vie for a position in the Bar Council, even as Mr. Churchill Aniekwena of NBA Barnawa Branch said he has joined the race for Welfare Secretary. Another new entrant to the race is global President of African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA), Mandy Asagba who is gunning for the post of 3rd Vice President while impeccable sources told CITY LAWYER that Mr. Maximus Ugwuoke of NBA Enugu Branch is also vying for the post of Welfare Secretary.

Below are some of the aspirants who CITY LAWYER had confirmed submission of their nomination forms.

PRESIDENT
The battle for the NBA Presidency remains a three-legged tussle between Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama SAN, Mr. Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau SAN and Mr. Jonathan Taidi. While Gadzama is the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Security Agencies Relations Committee (NBA-SARC), Maikyau is the Chairman of the NBA Welfare Committee. On his part, Taidi is the immediate past NBA General Secretary.

GENERAL SECRETARY
Aside from the presidential race, the election for the post of General Secretary is poised to be between five gladiators. While Messrs Adesina Adegbite, Desmond Yamah, Ewenode William and Collins Ogiegbaen confirmed submission of nomination forms to CITY LAWYER, Ede Asenoguan’s confidante told CITY LAWYER that he submitted his nomination form yesterday.

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
Zoned to the “Northern Zone,” Idris Doko Muhammad of NBA Lagos Branch confirmed submission of nomination form while an unimpeachable source confirmed that Linda Rose Bala has submitted her nomination form for the race for the pivotal seat of NBA First Vice President. Calls to Messrs Yakubu Saleh Bawa and Liman Salihu received no response. Bala is former NBA Legal Adviser while Bawa is current Chairman of NBA Jos Branch. On his part, Salihu is former Chairman of NBA Lokoja Branch

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT
The post of Second Vice President has been ‘micro-zoned’ to the Core East by the influential Eastern Bar Forum (EBF). Among those who confirmed submission of nomination forms to CITY LAWYER are the immediate past NBA Bwari Branch Chairman, Mr. Clement Chukwuemeka (aka “Democrats”); his NBA Owerri Branch counterpart, Mr. Damian Nosike, and Dr. Gerald Abonyi, pioneer NBA Obollo-Afor Branch Chairman. Mr. Anthony Chukwurah of NBA Gwagwalada Branch and Mr. Finian Eze  Ndukwu of NBA Mbaise Branch also told CITY LAWYER that they have joined the race for Second Vice President.

THIRD VICE PRESIDENT
Zoned to the “Western Zone” comprising Egbe Amofin O’odua and Midwest Bar blocs, CITY LAWYER can confirm that at least three aspirants are now in the race. While former NBA Ota Branch Chairman, Mr. Isaac Omuta Ogbah and Mr. Promise Ademi-Akpeto confirmed submission of their nomination forms to CITY LAWYER, unimpeachable sources told CITY LAWYER that AWLA global President, Mandy Asagba has also joined the race.

TREASURER
Among the aspirants who have confirmed submission of nomination forms to CITY LAWYER are former NBA Assistant Publicity Secretary, Mr. Chuks Mbamala of NBA Enugu Branch; current NBA Epe Branch Vice Chairman and NBA-SPIDEL Committee Treasurer, Funmi Adeogun; former Vice Chairman of NBA Lafia Branch and current Treasurer, NBA Women Forum (NBAWF), Safiya Balarabe as well as Caroline Ladidi Anze-Bishop, former Vice Chairman and former NEC Representative, NBA Bukuru Branch.

WELFARE SECRETARY
Immediate past NBA Assistant Secretary, Chinyere Obasi and former NBA Barnawa Branch Welfare Secretary, Mr. Churchill Aniekwena have confirmed submission of nomination forms for the post of Welfare Secretary. Meanwhile, impeccable sources told CITY LAWYER that Mr. Maximus Ugwuoke of Enugu Branch has now joined the race. CITY LAWYER also reliably gathered that NBA Welfare Committee member and co-opted NEC member, Mr. Auta Nyada has submitted his nomination form. 

PUBLICITY SECRETARY
This is a tripodal race between the immediate past Assistant Publicity Secretary, Mr. Habeeb Akorede Lawal; current NBA Welfare Committee Secretary, Ogaga Emoghanre, and the latest entrant, Mr. Felix Chukwuma Ashimole (aka Che Oyinatumba), a former NBA Bwari Branch Secretary and former Member of NBA Anti-Corruption Committee. All three aspirants have confirmed submission of nomination forms to CITY LAWYER.

ASSISTANT GENERAL SECRETARY
This race may present a crowded field of aspirants. The aspirants who have confirmed to CITY LAWYER that they submitted nomination forms are the current NBA Ikorodu Branch Secretary, Mr. Oluwaseun Aka; incumbent NBA Ilorin Branch Vice Chairman, Mr. Dhikrullah Adewale Balogun; Mr. Daniel Kip of Calabar, and Mr. Oseme Peremene Anthony, former NBA Idemili Branch Chairman.

ASSISTANT PUBLICITY SECRETARY
This may be a straight fight between Mr. Charles Ajiboye who also contested for the position during the last election and Mr. Akachukwu Nwoye, current NBA Gwagwalada Branch Secretary. Both aspirants told CITY LAWYER that they have submitted their nomination forms for the election. 

GENERAL COUNCIL OF THE BAR
Among those itching to represent the Bar at the Bar Council are former NBA Welfare Secretary, Mr. Joshua Enemali and Ms. Anne Agi; current NBA Aba Branch Vice Chairman, Mr. Victor Onweremadu who may have jettisoned his initial quest for the position of Welfare Secretary, and Mr. Femi Onakoya of NBA Lagos Branch.

CITY LAWYER also gathered that many aspirants including some senior advocates have shown serious interest in slugging it out for a place in the General Council of the Bar.

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Copyright 2022 CITY LAWYER. Please send emails to citylawyermag@gmail.com. Join us on Facebook at https://web.facebook.com/City-Lawyer-Magazine-434937936684320 and on TWITTER at https://twitter.com/CityLawyerMag. To ADVERTISE in CITY LAWYER, please email citylawyermag@gmail.com or call 08138380083. All materials available on this Website are protected by copyright, trade mark and other proprietary and intellectual property laws. You may not use any of our intellectual property rights without our express written consent or attribution to www.citylawyermag.com. However, you are permitted to print or save to your individual PC, tablet or storage extracts from this Website for your own personal non-commercial use.

  • EMEKA NWADIOKE
  • Mar 16, 2022
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RPC: MALAMI ASKS COURT TO DISMISS NBA’S SUIT

• SAYS BAR COUNCIL RATIFIED RPC

Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN has asked the Federal High Court to dismiss a suit brought by the Nigerian Bar Association to annul the amended Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners (RPC).

Malami has also told the court that the Bar Council held a meeting to ratify the controversial RPC, CITY LAWYER can exclusively report.

CITY LAWYER recalls that the Nigerian Bar Association had through the Chief Ferdinand Orbih SAN-led NBA Section on Legal Practice (NBA-SLP), dragged the Attorney General to court via an originating summons dated 17th January, 2022 and filed on 24th January, 2022 alleging that Malami unilaterally amended the RPC without due process of law.

The Attorney-General argued that the NBA lacked the locus standi to institute the action, urging the court to dismiss the plaintiff’s claim “for failure to comply with the Evidence act and lacks (sic) locus standi to institute it.”

In a counter-affidavit obtained by CITY LAWYER and deposed by one Oni Michael, a Litigation Officer in the Civil Litigation and Public Law Department, Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, he stated “That members of the General Council of the Bar were invited for the meeting which was held.”

Restating this point in the written address, the defendant said: “My Lord, we submit that an invitation has (sic) been sent to all members of the General Council of the Bar and some have (sic) attended the meeting. Subsequently any decision arrived at the meeting where a member is voluntarily absent is binding on all members as the quorum was provided in subsection 4 of section 1 of the LPA. We urge my lord to so hold.”

Continuing, the deponent stated that Malami “did that which he is statutorily empowered to do strictly within the confines of the Law as the Chief Law Officer of the Federation and the President of the General Council of the Bar.”

He restated that “a meeting (of the Bar Council) was called and members of the Council were duly notified and present in same.”

Malami argued that he is “statutorily empowered to improve the professionalism of legal practice in Nigeria,” adding that “The Plaintiff is bringing this action based on mere speculation and hearsay as he (NBA) is not a member of the General Council of the Bar.”

In the written address in opposition to the plaintiff’s originating summons, Malami argued that “The plaintiff commences this suit without averting his mind to the fact that he is not a member of the General Council of the Bar and as such cannot challenge what they deliberate on in their meetings and whatsoever he said amounts to hearsay and the Plaintiff has no Locus to institute this action.”

The matter, INCORPORATED TRUSTEES OF THE NBA VS ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION has also been assigned Suit Number FHC/ABJ/CS/77/2022 and slated for March 24 by Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

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