• NBA Sets Up 5-Man Reconciliation C’te • ‘I’m on Vacation’ – Gadzama A glimmer of hope emerged yesterday that the electoral impasse that has sharply divided Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) members may be resolved amicably as outgoing NBA President, Mr. Augustine Alegeh, SAN said the association is eager to reconcile with defeated presidential candidate, Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama, SAN over the controversial NBA elections. It is recalled that Gadzama had in a letter to the Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA), Mr. Kenneth Mozia, SAN dated August 1, 2016 rejected the result of the elections as declared by ECNBA and warned that he would “resort to the Court of Law to seek judicial redress” for alleged infractions during the elections. The letter was copied to NBA President, Mr. Augustine Alegeh, SAN. He made good his threat recently when he filed a 102-paragraph claim against the NBA among others. His opponent in the elections, Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN was declared winner of the presidential race. Mahmoud polled 3055 votes to beat Gadzama who garnered 2384 votes. But speaking yesterday at the NBA National Executive Committee meeting to herald the association’s Annual General Conference (AGC) holding in Port Harcourt, Alegeh said that the NBA leadership has reached out to Gadzama for a truce but that the effort has so far not yielded fruit. He then announced the setting up of a five-man Reconciliation Committee to resolve the impasse. CITY LAWYER was told by highly reliable sources that Alegeh had reached out to Gadzama but was informed that he was “on vacation.” According to Alegeh, the committee is to be made up of past NBA Presidents. He however said that Mr. Jospeh Daudu, SAN was deliberately left out of the committee because his name “came up severally” in the course of the elections, and to avoid the committee being charged with bias. According to the outgoing NBA President, the committee has former NBA President, Chief Onomigbo Okpoko, SAN as Chairman. Other members are former NBA presidents Chief O. C. J. Okocha, SAN and Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN; former NBA General Secretary, Mr. Yinka Fayokun and Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Mbanugo Udenze who will double as Secretary of the committee. CITY LAWYER reporters that many speakers had at the NEC meeting urged the NBA leadership to initiate efforts to resolve the electoral debacle by exploring options of possible out-of-court settlement in order to forge a united Bar. Former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Chief Adetokunbo Kayode, SAN was said to have commended the move for a truce, adding that he would offer himself “to assist the committee” in its assignment. Source: CITY LAWYER]]>