A member of the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Bar Association has released a video recording from the NEC meeting held in Benin City, which he says clearly shows that the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association for the forthcoming national officers’ elections was duly constituted through proper deliberation and resolution of the Council.
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Ekezie K. Onumajulu Esq., an NBA NEC member for the 2024–2026 session, shared the video amid the ongoing controversy over the legitimacy of the Electoral Committee, which is currently the subject of a court challenge at the High Court of Justice, Oyo State, sitting in Ibadan.
Going further, Onumajulu directly attacked the credibility of the suit filed by Ibrahim Lawal and three other Branch Chairmen, declaring that the video evidence renders their case without foundation.
“This clearly renders the suit filed by Ibrahim Lawal baseless, as he is attempting to mislead the court by claiming that the NEC never adopted the ECNBA appointment,” Onumajulu stated.
According to Onumajulu, the video provides a direct visual record of the proceedings at the Benin NEC meeting and captures the process through which the Electoral Committee was constituted.
From the video, it can be seen that during deliberations at the meeting, Chief Richard Ahonaruogho SAN, described in the proceedings as the Prince of Okpe Kingdom, moved a motion for the approval of the names suggested for the Electoral Committee responsible for conducting the NBA national officers’ elections.
The video recording captures Chief Ahonaruogho addressing the NEC meeting, stating: “Sir, with the kind permission of President, I move that the names suggested for the electoral body for the next NBA be approved as read by Mr. President. I so move, sir.”
The motion was seconded, and following deliberations by members of the Council, it was adopted, with the proceedings drawing applause from those present.
Other members of the Council, including one identified as being from Gbagada and another as Sule Usman, participated in the deliberations captured in the video.
Onumajulu said he considered it important to share the video with colleagues, particularly those who were not present at the Benin NEC meeting, because it provides first-hand evidence of how the Electoral Committee was constituted — directly contradicting what he described as Ibrahim Lawal’s attempt to mislead the court into believing that the NEC never adopted the committee’s appointment.
He noted that the NEC remains the highest decision-making body of the Nigerian Bar Association after the Annual General Meeting, and its proceedings shape important administrative and electoral processes within the Association. Records of its proceedings therefore play an essential role in ensuring institutional clarity and transparency.
“In a profession where facts, records, and due process are central to our work, it is always useful for members of the Bar to have access to verifiable records of what transpired at meetings where key decisions were taken,” Onumajulu stated.
He encouraged colleagues to watch the video and acquaint themselves with the proceedings of the Council, adding: “As lawyers, we are trained to rely on records and to draw our conclusions from verifiable facts. The video therefore speaks for itself.”
@thenigerialawyer“The Video Speaks For Itself” — Benin NEC Meeting Footage Shows ECNBA Was Duly Constituted, Says NEC Member Amid Attempt To Mislead The Court
The release of the video and the pointed accusation against Ibrahim Lawal come at a critical time in the NBA’s electoral process. The High Court of Justice, Oyo State, sitting in Ibadan, presided over by Justice G. A. Opayinka, had earlier granted an interim injunction in Suit No. I/221/2026 restraining five individuals — Aham Ejelam SAN, Ibrahim Aliyu Nasarawa Esq., Muhamad M. Nuhu Esq., Uju Okafor Esq., and Ume Maduka Esq. — from parading themselves as Chairman, Secretary, or members of the Electoral Committee or participating in any process connected with the 2026 NBA national officers’ election.
The interim order also restrained NBA President Afam Osigwe SAN from taking further steps toward the constitution or composition of the ECNBA or interfering with the conduct of the election.
The suit was brought by four Branch Chairmen — Ibrahim Lawal Esq., Raymond Oki Esq., Omotan Olusola Ogunmodede Esq., and Chief Gabriel Ojo Adekunle Ijalana Esq. — challenging the composition of the Electoral Committee. The matter was adjourned on March 12 to April 15, 2026, for hearing of the interlocutory injunction application, with the interim restraining orders remaining in force.
The court challenge was preceded by a formal letter from two Senior Advocates, Aare Muyiwa Akinboro SAN and Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe SAN, to the Board of Trustees demanding the immediate resignation of NBA President Osigwe over what they described as an open admission of bias and persistent partisan conduct during the electoral process.
The video released by Onumajulu and his direct accusation that Ibrahim Lawal is misleading the court appear intended to counter the narrative advanced by those challenging the Electoral Committee’s legitimacy. By showing that the committee was constituted through a motion moved at NEC, seconded, deliberated upon, and adopted by members of the Council, the video suggests that the claimants’ central contention — that the NEC never adopted the ECNBA appointment — is not supported by the record of proceedings.
However, those challenging the committee in court have raised broader concerns beyond the manner of constitution, including allegations of bias by the NBA President and questions about the independence and neutrality of the electoral process.
The NBA’s 2026 electoral process remains effectively frozen by the Ibadan court’s restraining orders, with the next hearing scheduled for April 15. The outcome of that hearing and the broader legal proceedings will determine whether the Electoral Committee as constituted at the Benin NEC meeting will be allowed to proceed with its mandate or whether a reconstitution will be ordered.
Ibrahim Lawal and the other claimants have not publicly responded to Onumajulu’s accusations as of the time of this report.
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