The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the Maiduguri National Executive Council (NEC) Meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association, Abdulwasiu Alfa, Esq., has clarified that all aspirants to national offices of the NBA were given equal opportunity to display their branded materials at the NEC meeting.
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Alfa made the clarification in a statement on Saturday, responding to various reports, commentaries, and interpretations arising from the presence of branded materials at the NEC meeting which sparked controversy and protest from some members.
“It must be clearly stated that all aspirants to national offices of the Nigerian Bar Association were given equal opportunity to display their branded materials at the Maiduguri NEC meeting. This included banners, flyers, branded items, and other campaign-related materials,” Alfa stated.
“No aspirant was denied access, preference, or advantage by the LOC or by the leadership of the Association. The LOC did not discriminate in favour of, or against, any aspirant. The arrangements at the venue were open and uniform, and aspirants who chose to display materials did so of their own volition and responsibility.”
Addressing reports about branded bottled water bearing an aspirant’s image being distributed at the meeting, the LOC Chairman clarified that the official bottled water shared at the NEC meeting was provided by the LOC and had no inscription of any aspirant on it.
“A picture of the bottle water is attached to this post. Any suggestion that a particular aspirant enjoyed exclusive or preferential treatment is therefore incorrect and misleading,” Alfa stated.
The LOC Chairman also clarified the NBA President’s position, stating that Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, before and during the NEC meeting, had decried the increasing monetisation of NBA politics and cautioned that the practice undermines the values, dignity, and integrity of the Association.
“He further emphasised that the constitutional provisions outlawing financial inducement and monetisation of elections must be enforced and called on the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) to apply the relevant provisions of the Constitution firmly without fear or favour, and issue electoral guidelines to prohibit monetisation of the process,” Alfa stated.
“This charge, he also extended to the LOC to make sure that we do not place any financial burden on our colleagues aspiring for offices during the NEC meeting.”
Alfa addressed reports suggesting that the NBA President stated he could not remain neutral in the forthcoming elections.
“At no point during the NEC meeting did the President state, suggest, or imply that he could not maintain neutrality in the forthcoming NBA elections. On the contrary, he clearly stated that he and members of his National Executive Committee regard themselves as fathers to all aspirants, and that while the Constitution does not deprive them of their personal right to vote, it expressly prohibits open endorsement of candidates by the leadership, a provision which he affirmed his commitment to uphold,” Alfa clarified.
The LOC Chairman emphasised that the NEC meeting was not a platform for endorsing any candidate, nor was it used to advance the interest of any particular aspirant.
“Rather, it served as a forum where serious concerns about the direction of NBA politics, particularly the influence of money, were openly discussed,” he stated.
Alfa cautioned against narratives that selectively extract events from context or attempt to attribute motives that are unsupported by facts.
“Such narratives risk polarising the Bar and distracting from the substantive issues that require collective reflection and reform,” he warned.
“The Maiduguri NEC meeting was organised in good faith, conducted transparently, and in line with established NBA practice.”
The LOC Chairman urged all members of the Bar, aspirants, commentators, and stakeholders to engage responsibly, uphold the dignity of the profession, and allow the ongoing electoral process to be guided by the Constitution, the ECNBA, and shared commitment to the best interests of the Nigerian Bar Association.
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