An accredited agent for Chief Chidi Ezenwafor, candidate for the office of General Secretary in the 2026 Nigerian Bar Association election, has called on the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association to review the election process before making any final declaration of results.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ELLAN.png")
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-Summer-IDRI-Masterclass.jpg")
In a monitoring report addressed to the Chairman of the ECNBA, D.O. Otiga, Esq., said he remained at the election monitoring centre for over 31 hours, covering the scheduled 24-hour voting period and an additional period of more than seven hours occasioned by what he described as unexplained technical disruptions.
Otiga said he considered it necessary, in the interest of transparency and the integrity of the electoral process, to formally place his observations and concerns on record.
According to him, before voting officially commenced, videos circulated suggesting that voting had already started on the platform. He said he and other agents immediately drew the attention of the ECNBA Chairman to the development.
He stated that the Chairman denied the allegation and assured stakeholders that, before voting commenced, the votes recorded for every candidate would be displayed at zero and would only begin to accumulate after the official opening of polls.
Otiga, however, alleged that the assurance was never publicly demonstrated.
He further claimed that after the prolonged system downtime and upon restoration of the platform, votes had already been credited to various candidates while the Chairman was addressing stakeholders.
According to him, concerned stakeholders immediately drew attention to the development, but no explanation was provided on how the votes appeared, and no attempt was made to verify that the election had resumed from a clean slate.
He said the process simply continued despite objections raised by stakeholders, adding that the development raised serious integrity concerns, especially in view of the earlier assurance that votes would first be displayed at zero.
Otiga also described the more than seven-hour system failure as one of the most troubling aspects of the election.
He said throughout the period, stakeholders were not given a comprehensive technical explanation on the precise cause of the failure, the integrity of votes already cast, steps taken to secure the electoral database, or safeguards implemented before voting resumed.
He also faulted what he described as the absence of formal consultation with candidates and accredited agents before the resumption of voting.
According to him, members ought to have received an official announcement confirming that the platform had been restored and specifying the time voting would recommence.
He said voting instead resumed without structured notification or stakeholder engagement, thereby creating uncertainty and undermining confidence in the process.
Otiga further reported that he personally received numerous complaints from eligible voters across different branches and jurisdictions who said they were unable to cast their votes.
He listed some of the complaints as rejection of valid Supreme Court enrolment numbers as “invalid,” failure to receive OTPs, receipt of expired OTPs, delayed delivery of OTPs, voting timestamps reflecting periods before the official commencement of voting, and apparent inconsistencies between vote confirmations and system records.
He maintained that the complaints were widespread and could not reasonably be regarded as isolated incidents.
According to him, the cumulative effect of the failures appeared to have substantially disenfranchised a significant number of eligible voters.
The agent also questioned the administration of the election, saying it remained unclear who exercised effective operational control over the process.
He said whether responsibility rested with the NBA ICT Unit, the engaged service providers, or both, the level of technical preparedness demonstrated fell below the standard expected of an election conducted by the Nigerian Bar Association.
Otiga said stakeholders were repeatedly assured that technical issues had been resolved, yet system failures and operational inconsistencies allegedly continued throughout the exercise.
He said the events, when viewed collectively, raised fundamental concerns regarding transparency, accountability, equal opportunity to participate, reliability of the voting platform, and the overall credibility of the election.
“An election significantly affected by prolonged technical failures, unresolved operational anomalies, and widespread voter exclusion cannot readily inspire confidence in its outcome,” he stated.
He added that it would be more honourable to acknowledge deficiencies in a process and adopt corrective measures than to insist on completing a process whose credibility had been substantially called into question.
Otiga also observed that from the moment votes first became visible on the restored platform, the voting pattern, particularly in the elections for President and General Secretary, appeared remarkably consistent throughout the remainder of the exercise.
He clarified that the observation, standing alone, did not establish impropriety, but said it formed part of the circumstances requiring an independent forensic examination of the electoral process and electronic voting platform.
In his recommendation, Otiga urged the ECNBA not to make any final declaration of results until the identified concerns had been independently examined.
He also called for an immediate independent forensic audit of the electronic voting platform, voting logs, timestamps, authentication records and system activities.
He further recommended that candidates and their accredited agents should be given full access to the audit process and its findings.
Otiga also urged the ECNBA to convene a comprehensive stakeholder engagement to address the concerns raised and determine the appropriate way forward in the interest of justice, transparency and the credibility of the Association.
“The integrity of the NBA’s electoral process is one of the pillars upon which the Association’s moral authority rests. Every reasonable step should, therefore, be taken to ensure that the outcome of this election commands the confidence of both contestants and the wider membership,” he said.
The report was signed by D.O. Otiga, Esq., Agent for Chief Chidi Ezenwafor, Esq., candidate for the office of General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association.
LAWBREED — Equipping You For Greater Success!
_______________________________________________________________________
“Order Justice Omolaye-Ajileye’s Electronic Evidence Books Now” — Essential Guides On Evidence Act, Case Law And Digital Proof
[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation
______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence
Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via:
0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888
Website: www.alexandernigeria.com
As an added bonus, every purchase comes with a FREE ebook titled: “How to use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion.”
Ohio Books Ltd praises the publication, stating:
"....this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic."
How to Order:
📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878
📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com
🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com
Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626
Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACiarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria.
