NBA Fmr. GS, Ibrahim Eddy Mark, Gives Account On The History And Adoption Of Candidate In NBA Elections

Life Bencher and past General Secretary Of NBA Ibrahim Eddy Mark has thrown more light on how zoning and adoption of presidential candidates for NBA elections began. Ever since the Adoption Of Arthur Obi Okafor, SAN, by the EBF as their sole presidential candidate for the 2018 election, there has been controversy trailing in the Association as to why a candidate must be adopted despite the introduction of universal suffrage. But the Adoption has been a long age process which has been in existence before the universal suffrage. Read this statement: “I will give a brief history of this adoption scenario. After the 1992 imbroglio that made NBA comatose. We then as Branch Chairmen and Secretaries converged at Ikeja under the twin invitation of Yola and Ikeja Branches of NBA in 1996. We formed the committee of Chairmen and Secretaries and made Chief A .S Awomolo SAN and Richard Ahonarougho both of Ilorin and Ikeja Branch as Coordinating Chairman and Secretary. We went round the country holding meetings from Port Harcourt, Owerri, Enugu; Uyo, Ibadan, Yola, Ilorin, Maiduguri, Sokoto, Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, Onitsha, Warri. We now held a preliminary conference in Jos in 1997 where the Conference by resolution gave us the mandate to do all that is needful to bring back NBA to live. We continued holding meetings thereafter in branches and in one of the meetings in Onitsha we agreed of rotation of Presidency but it should not be included in the constitution and that when it has gone sufficiently round we can discard with it. In 1998 we held a delegate conference in Abuja and elected T.J.O.Okpoko SAN as President. The next election was for 2000 and it was agreed that the Presidency should go to Eastern Nigeria. Wole Olanipekun was prevailed to remove his name from the Ballot and he did so. OCJ Okocha SAN and Nnaemeka Emeh both of Port Harcourt and Aba branch contested. OCJ Okocha SAN was the adopted candidate of Eastern Nigeria but Emeh refused to step down and lost at the election. The next zone was South West in 2002.Wole Olanipekun was the adopted candidate but Onakoya a former General Secretary of NBA from Abeokuta Branch refused to step down but list to Wole at the election at Ibadan. In 2004 it was the turn of the North.Bayo Ojo SAN,J B. DAUDU SAN and A .B. Mahmud SAN were the candidates but Conference of Northern lawyer’s then could not arrive at a choosen candidate and passed a resolution telling all the candidates to present their candidature. Bayo won. In 2006 it was the turn of the East. One of the candidates for President now was the Governor of EBF .Olisa Agbakoba SAN was adopted by the East as against Chris Uche SAN. Olisa Agbakoba SAN won. 2008 it came back to South West who adopted Rotimi Akeredolu SAN who was returned unopposed. Upon that adoption Dele Adesina stepped down for him. 2010 it came back to the North. J.B.Daudu SAN was adopted as against J.K.Gadzama SAN, JB won at Ibadan delegate conference. 2012 it came back to the East. O. K. Wali SAN was adopted against Emeka Ngige SAN who refused to abide by the adoption. O.K. Wali SAN won. It went back to South West in 2014 by then former Midwest has joined them . South West could not agree on who to adopt and presented 3 candidates but Midwest adopted Austin Alege SAN who won the election. It came back to the North in 2016. Arewa Lawyers forum had division with the Chairman Camp adopting J.K.Gadzama SAN and the Secretary Camp adopting A.B. Mahmud SAN. A. B. Mahmud SAN won. Interestingly the East had always divided their slot between South East and South South. That is why after OCJ Okocha SAN they brought Olisa Agbakoba SAN then O.K.Wali SAN and have now adopted Arthur Obi Okafor SAN to keep to tradition.OCJ and Okey Wali are South South axis whilst Olisa and Obi Okafor SAN are South East axis. This shows that it is the turn of South East axis to produce a President from that zone. People who complain of this adoption or zoning forget that the Federal Character Commission is established to do what we are doing in The NBA now. You must prepare to get the nod from your zone as a good politician and for me if you think you want to opt out of the adoption thing say so to them to indicate that you are not bound by their decision. I did that when I was running for office as General Secretary of NBA and refused to identify with any regional fora and had assisted me to win. What I have tried to do is to do a historical excursion as to the beginning and power of adoption. To me there must be honour in what we do.]]>