Dear Sir, RE: CONCERNS REGARDING ONGOING NBA NATIONAL ELECTIONS You may recall that we have written a number of letters expressing grave and growing concerns about the NBA National elections. We are constrained to write again in view of the fact that some of these concerns were either completely ignored or inadequately addressed. We refer specifically to our previous letters of the 24th June, 15th July and 20th July 2016. All of these letters and their various attachments were received by the Nigerian Bar Association as shown by their endorsements. Please find copies of these letters attached for ease of reference. We wish to now draw your attention to some very important concerns. Our agents have been in the NBA National Secretariat for the past 40 hours. All they have monitored in all those 40 hours is nothing more than the names of those voting and the branches from which they voted. We do not think this is meaningful at all. The whole point of a voting process is the outcome. It is of utmost importance therefore that the process leading to that outcome is seen by all to be clear and credible. A situation where our agents cannot see the results accruing to candidates as they come is simply wrong. Secret collation has never been healthy for any true democratic process. Yet secret collation is apparently what is going on. Another concern is that it was only around midnight yesterday that our Agents were informed for the very first time of the total number of accredited voters. This is in spite of the fact the accreditation had been on for several days – yet no information was given until last night. And even then the Chairman, we understand read out the following figures to the team of Agents and ECNBA members present: 1. Total number of lawyers eligible to vote……………………………24,305 2. Total number of eligible lawyers who updated their records…………11,646 3. Total number of updated lawyers accredited to vote………………..6,932 We wish to place on record that regardless of whatever arguments about protecting the security of the Electoral body or preventing political manoeuvring; it is not right that results are collated secretly, and agents prevented from seeing the scores of their candidates as votes are returned. This has defeated the very essence of having an agent to monitor the process. Finally, there is the issue of what appears to be wholesale disenfranchisement of branches. For instance, we gather that in Badagry and Ile-Ife Branches, a large number of updated lawyers either did not receive any email with accreditation link or the link received did not function at all and all complaints were went unheeded and ultimately unresolved. We attach relevant correspondence from some affected branches. We trust that you will ensure that the obvious gaps created by the secret collation, as well as the late announcement of total votes cast and total number of accredited voters are not exploited. We also hope you that you will ensure that the integrity of the entire process is not compromised as a result of the failure to resolve issues around accreditation of updated lawyers. In view of the foregoing, we hereby demand that the system be opened up to enable the agents of all candidates in this election (including ours) to view and monitor the votes scored by each of the candidates as they come in since this is the final collation. Thank you. Yours faithfully, ………………………………. ……………………. Prof Maxwell M. Gidado SAN Mr. E. S. Oluwabiyi Deputy Chairman Chairman FCT Coordinators J-K Gadzama Campaign Organization > cc: > > > > The Representative > > Microsoft Corporation > > Rivers House > > 4th floor, Central Business District > > Abuja, Nigeria > > > > The Representative > > National Democratic Institute > > No. 49 Agadez Street > > Aminu Kano Crescent > > Wuse II > > Abuja FCT > > > > The Representative > > Independent National Electoral Commission > > Plot 436 > > Zambezi Crescent > > Maitama Abuja FCT > > > > The President > > Nigerian Bar Association > > 24 Oro-Age Crescent > > Abuja FCT ]]>