Vocal Bar activist, Dame Carol Ajie has said that Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President-elect, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau SAN cannot be sworn-in alongside other elected National Officers until the 2022 NBA Election is audited.

In a post made available to CITY LAWYER, Ajie canvassed that First Vice President Mrs Linda Bala should take over the mantle of leadership of the association until conclusion of the audit.

CITY LAWYER recalls that the agent of Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama SAN at the just concluded election had written to the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA) urging it to audit the election. While the expectation from the Gadzama camp was that the audit would be concluded before announcement of the results, the Electoral Committee brushed aside the demand and proceeded to announce the election results.

Below is the full text of Ajie’s statement.

The Swearing-in is in five weeks. Gadzama SAN should not concern himself with any other office but that of the NBA President which he contested and is in contention.

Lessons from 2016, avoid possible prolongation of dispute by narrowing it to office of President

Electoral Notes:-

1) NBA should proceed on 26/8 as scheduled to swear in all newly elected officers but one that is the Office of the President.

2) The First Vice President Mrs Linda Bala and every other officer but President upon being sworn in Bala should step in for the President as Akpata terms out. No tenure elongation. Mrs Bala might find this task heavy but she has to learn to step in pending result of audit particularly as ECNBA is yet to ask NBA presidential candidates to nominate an audit firm each.

3) All three Presidential candidates will nominate one audit firm per candidate say in a day or two. All three audit firms will meet to review the process, 60,000 approximate voters accredited only 34,000 voted. Because they were denied access covertly or overtly. Why were inaccessible voting links sent to some targeted lawyers. Must resolve these once and for all.

4) In the event of the auditors finding fundamental irregularities, ElectionBuddy has to explain it. If not satisfactorily explained ECNBA ought to cancel the election result for the office of the President and conduct a credible election ASAP.

This is a struggle to save NBA.

Thank you.

Caroline Ajie, LL.M Georgetown
Professor Scholar Juris

To join our Telegram platform, please click here 

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.