Chief Soronnadi A. Njoku, SAN, has declined his appointment as Chairman of the five-member committee constituted by the Nigerian Bar Association, Owerri Branch, to investigate the expenditure of part of the funds released to the Branch by the Imo State Government.
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Njoku communicated his decision in a letter dated September 29, 2026, addressed to the Chairman of the NBA Owerri Branch and titled “Re: Notice of Appointment of Investigative Committee on Expenditure of Branch Funds.”
His decision comes barely a day after NBA Owerri announced the constitution of the investigative committee pursuant to a resolution of the Branch General Meeting held on September 26 and following a communication from the Attorney-General of Imo State and Commissioner for Justice, Hon. Paul Obinatu.
The committee had been announced with Njoku, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, as Chairman, while Okwara Adaugo was named Secretary. Other members are Goodluck Nwelue, K. M. Onyeama and Onwukaike Paschal.
The committee was mandated to investigate the expenditure of part of the funds released to NBA Owerri Branch by the Imo State Government and applied by the Branch Executive Committee to projects, obtain explanations and clarifications from persons involved or connected with the expenditure, and submit findings to the Branch for consideration and further necessary action.
Explaining why he could not take up the assignment, Njoku disclosed that he had recently been elected, in absentia, to a major political campaign position which now required his full-time attention.
According to him, on September 23, 2026, the Elders Council of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Imo State Branch, elected him in absentia as Director-General of the party’s Presidential Council for Imo State.
He said he accepted the political assignment because of his belief that Nigeria needed a change in direction.
“I accepted the position because I deeply believe that, for us to achieve the realization of our dream NEW NIGERIA, all hands, including mine, must be on deck. Things cannot, simply, continue to go on like this in our dear country. Where is our President?” he stated.
Njoku further disclosed that on September 28, he attended a joint meeting involving the party’s Elders Council, State Executive Council and leadership of the various Pro-Peter Obi support groups at the Civic Centre residence of Chief Achike Udenwa.
He said that because of the short period between then and the presidential election, he immediately commenced work on his political assignment.
“I was unveiled to a JOINT MEETING of the Party’s Elders’ Council, State Executive Council and the Leadership of all the PRO-PETER OBI Support Groups yesterday, 28th Sept 2026, at the Civic Centre Residence of His Excellency, Chief Achike Udenwa, and, because of the shortness of the time between now and the Presidential Election, I commenced work at once,” he wrote.
Njoku said he first became aware of his appointment as Chairman of the NBA Owerri investigative committee while attending another meeting of the campaign council later that day.
According to him, at about 5 p.m. on September 28, his daughter, Nneoma, whom he identified as a member of NBA Owerri Branch and of the 2015 Call Set, forwarded the Branch’s notice of appointment to him.
He said he subsequently checked the NBA WhatsApp platform to confirm the authenticity of the notice and read it himself.
The Senior Advocate noted that his prior concurrence had not been obtained before his name was publicly announced as Chairman of the investigative committee.
He, however, made clear that he was not offended by the lack of prior consultation.
“Much as my concurrence was not obtained before my name went public as the Chairman, I do not take any offence at this breach of protocol and/or lack of consultation because the Bar owns me and has a claim over me and my services,” Njoku stated.
He added that he regarded the appointment as recognition of his ability to discharge the responsibility entrusted to the committee.
“And it is a recognition of my ability to perform the function that led the Branch Executive to appoint me to chair the Committee in the first instance, and I appreciate this,” he said.
Njoku, however, said the circumstances surrounding his new political responsibilities made it impossible for him to accept the NBA Owerri appointment.
“However, the circumstance I have presented at the beginning of this letter has made it IMPOSSIBLE for me to accept to serve as the Chairman of the Committee,” he stated.
He explained that his responsibilities as Director-General of the presidential campaign council in Imo State would require his full attention, particularly given what he described as the rapid pace of political activities.
“I will not be able to serve effectively in that capacity, given the full-time nature of my Campaign Committee Functions, and the rapid pace of activities in the political front,” he said.
“Setting up a Presidential Campaign Council AND running the campaign and winning in Imo State, all within JUST FOUR MONTHS, is so herculean that I cannot combine it with serving as the Chairman of the Committee.”
Njoku consequently formally declined the NBA Owerri appointment.
“I therefore, with all humility and sense of responsibility, DECLINE the appointment,” he concluded.
His withdrawal introduces a new development in the continuing controversy over the management of the funds received by NBA Owerri Branch from the Imo State Government.
The investigative committee was constituted amid disagreement over the use of the N100 million reportedly received by NBA Owerri as part of a N350 million intervention distributed among the six NBA branches in Imo State.
The Branch had said the committee would examine the expenditure of part of the funds which the Executive Committee applied to projects and would obtain explanations from persons involved before submitting its findings for consideration and further action.
Njoku’s letter does not question the mandate of the committee or the decision to investigate the expenditure. Rather, he attributed his inability to serve solely to the demands of his newly assumed political campaign responsibilities.
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