I think NBA as a body has become complicit in the desecration and flagrant violations of NBA constitution and the code of ethics of the profession. This defence by the Chairman of LOC is an admission of the complicity of once noble professional association where appearance of impropriety was enough to stop a person from occupying positions of leadership of the profession. The distinction that those who want to lead the bar in whatever offices in the coming elections are aspirants and not candidates does not make sense to me in the least. Allowing all the aspirants opportunities to bring campaign materials to NEC or any official functions of NBA means that NBA as body is not serious in enforcing discipline in the process leading to elections of its National Officers. NBA and its leadership have lost it and as professional association of lawyers we have lost the moral and legal rights to condemn politicians who openly induced and buy votes in our democratic journey. It is a shame NBA is not above board…. okuptar SAN
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/TheNigerialawyer-WhatsApp-Channel1.jpg")
The speech of my president that he cannot be neutral in the NBA elections because he will vote and has candidate to vote for in the forthcoming elections and that he will provide level playing field cannot be in his speech.
It arose from answers he gave to a member of NEC who raised concerns about branded water bottles of an aspirant that was being shared in the hall. The president gave example of President Tinubu who appointed Chairman of INEC and yet he will contest and vote in the elections to be conducted by INEC chair that he appointed.
I attend the meeting online and I heard it. I am not going to debate the propriety or otherwise of that answers. I have always have my concerns about NBA elections. Anyone who cares can see my concerns I have been raising since 2018. Nothing new. I think NBA election is becoming more dirty than the conventional politics of Nigerian political parties combined. I am worried as to how we keep telorating the intelorable in the politics of NBA and the abilities to moving in wrong directions while hoping to lead the society in purity of reasoning anchored on the rule of law. I just need to make this clarification. Okutepa said
It seems you all miss the point, which is most unfortunate @135222867849419 @79710818193643 . This, to me, is not about whether or not an aspirant shared materials at the NEC. If I may add, at one of the first NEC meetings under Osigwe’s administration, Aare shared bags with members of the NEC. So, what is my concern? It’s a concern that I honestly feel should be everyone’s as well. It is the fact that when concerns were raised at the NEC by one of its members, rather than the President responding diplomatically, as expected of an NBA President, he chose to openly declare his support for his chosen candidate. The President was quoted not only openly declaring his support for his preferred candidate but also referencing Bola Tinubu’s actions to justify his support and actions. These allegations are confirmed as true by NEC members who were present at the meeting, and their account of the events aligns precisely with the allegations.
As President of the NBA, one should not be seen to be openly endorsing a candidate, especially as under the same administration, an election will be conducted for the same candidates. When a President openly endorses a candidate, he creates doubts in any reasonable person’s mind that the elections may not be free and fair. It questions the credibility of the Election Committee appointed by the President to conduct a free and fair election. That is why it is important that an NBA President should always be mindful of his actions and utterances so as not to be seen as creating an unfair advantage.,…..
another lawyer,
Oga, leave all this your explanations!
Why should the so-called *”official bottle water”* be branded with NBA logo in the first place?
Seems to me like a waste of NBA resources!
There’s actually zero financial accountability in NBA circles, both at the National and Branch levels..
As for the hullabaloo surrounding the alleged anointing of Mrs. Badejo, i think all the Presidential aspirants actually deserve to be disqualified to serve as serious deterrent to future aspirants; because the 3 Presidential candidates have all flouted the Constitution as it relates to campaign gifts!
Overall, there’s so much hypocrisy and insincerity all around! That is why the ECNBA will tell you that the aspirants cannot be disqualified for flouting campaign Rules because they’re not yet candidates!🤪😂😂
Imagine such self-deceit!
But few years ago when i submitted constitutional amendment Memoranda that would’ve made aspirants to be deemed as candidates for purposes of adherence to campaign Rules, the NBA discarded the proposal…..and you think we’re not deceiving ourselves?!🤪😂😂
My dear Mr. President sir, please kindly hand over to whomever you want to hand over.
You have earned the right to handpick your successor, after all, you yourself had been a victim of the corrupt system when you were disqualified during your first missionary journey….and you fought your way back to the top!
So, yes, you have earned the right to handpick your successor and nobody should begrudge you that right.🤪😂
If e reach your turn, if you like, don’t pick your successor!🤪😂😂
My only advice to the outgoing President, his supporters, all candidates and indeed all NBA members is that we should stop the hypocrisy and selective sanctimoniousness!
Let’s keep deceiving ourselves until we all get tired of deceiving ourselves!
Congratulations are in order for the NBA President-designate, Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo Okunsanya.🥳🥳
See you at your inauguration!!🎉🎉🙌🙌🙌
another senor lawyer , Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, CGoF@ChidiOdinkalu,….Very soon, aspirants for the presidency of
will be distributing #BrandedCondoms to advertise their candidacy! said
Also, Mustapha M. Kashim, Esq., ACArb
Past Chairman, Dutse Branch
Secretary, NBA Future of Legal Practice Committee
Co-opted NEC Member. to ECNBA CHAIR >>Dear Mr. Oso,
I read your recent blog post in which, as scribe of the Egbe Amofin Oodua Governing Council, you reportedly “formally drew the attention of NEC to what you described as a clear, disturbing, and unmistakable display of institutional bias” in favour of Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN specifically citing the distribution of bottled water as campaign material.
With due respect, Learned Silk, you ought to know better than to throw stones while living in a glass house.
You will recall that your group’s adopted aspirant, Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, set this precedent at the very first NEC of this administration in Enugu, November 2024, by distributing branded conference bags. Delegates were required to submit their names and contact details before collecting them and were subsequently added to campaign platforms. No one complained; indeed, the President thanked him publicly.
At Akure, the first NEC of 2025, he distributed desk diaries. Again, no objections. In Ilorin, May 2025, his Project Bar team gave out A4 copies of the Remuneration Order. Still, no protest.
At Benin, November 2025, your adopted aspirant distributed bags, mugs, diaries, and toiletry packs. Once again, silence.
Now suddenly, you raise alarm over bottled water in Maiduguri, under temperatures approaching 40°C a gesture clearly rooted in welfare, not politics. By your own admission, you drank the water too.
It may also interest you that your adopted aspirant arrived in Maiduguri with boxes of diaries meant for distribution but later withdrew them, leaving delegates disappointed. Why then this selective outrage?
This pattern suggests that what is acceptable when done by your candidate becomes objectionable when done by others. That is neither fair nor principled.
And let us not forget AGC 2024 in Lagos, where Aare Akinboro occupied an entire booth distributing umbrellas, caps, water bottles, and using a 360° photo booth to collect delegates’ contact details which were then used to populate Project Bar platforms.
So, with respect, Learned Silk, Aare started this.
While we await the ECNBA election guidelines, no rules have been breached by any of the three aspirants including your adopted candidate.
Water is life. In Maiduguri, it is necessity, not campaign strategy. Kudos to Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, for prioritising delegate welfare.
Next NBA event, let Aare bring water we will drink it gladly.
Sincerely yours,
Mustapha M. Kashim, Esq., ACArb
Past Chairman, Dutse Branch
Secretary, NBA Future of Legal Practice Committee
Co-opted NEC Member.
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