*As Conflicting SPIDEL Statements Emerge: One Signed by Edokwe, Another by 1st VP, Revealing Internal Leadership Discord
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The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is facing internal discord as conflicting statements have emerged over the controversial 2025 elections of the Section on Public Interest & Development Law (SPIDEL), with the National Publicity Secretary denying authorship of a widely circulated press release.
A press release dated December 13, 2025, attributed to Bridget Edokwe, Esq., National Publicity Secretary of the NBA, has been circulating, defending decisions taken by the NBA leadership regarding the SPIDEL elections. However, investigations by TheNigeriaLawyer revealed that two versions of the document are trending one signed by Edokwe and another by Sabastine Anyia, 1st Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
In a dramatic twist, Edokwe publicly denied issuing the document in the SPIDEL group when it was shared by one of the members, stating: “Without prejudice to the content of this document, I did not issue this document please.”
This development has exposed what appears to be an internal discord within the NBA leadership over the handling of the SPIDEL elections.
Meanwhile, Edokwe has publicly denied an internal crisis, saying, “Unini, there is no crisis in NBA leadership. There was a glitch in communication, and it has been sorted out. There is only one statement signed by the 1st Vice President, Sebastian Anyia.”
The statement, now confirmed to have been issued by 1st Vice President Sabastine Anyia rather than the National Publicity Secretary, provides a detailed defense of the NBA leadership’s intervention in the SPIDEL elections, titled: “ALL DECISIONS TAKEN IN UYO WERE TO ENSURE THAT ANOTHER CRISIS WAS AVERTED IN SPIDEL.”
According to the statement, the NBA National Executive Council (NEC) held in Ilorin on May 15, 2025, resolved to appoint the Prof. Paul Ananaba SAN-led interim leadership/Electoral Committee to conduct an election for SPIDEL.
However, the statement alleged that contrary to this resolution, the Prof. Paul Ananaba SAN-led interim leadership purportedly set up an Electoral Committee to be chaired by Kunle Edun SAN, which violated mandatory provisions of the Bye-Law Requirements and the Uniform Bye-laws for Sections, Third Schedule to the NBA Constitution.
The statement listed several alleged violations by the Electoral Committee, including:
a. Failure to publicly announce the election date, invite nominations of candidates, and publicize eligibility requirements.
b. Failure to notify disqualified candidates within seven days to enable them to appeal.
c. Failure to publicize the list of qualified candidates by email or on the Section’s website.
d. Failure to indicate the mode and procedure for the election and notify members accordingly.
e. Failure to compile and publish the list of eligible voters at least 21 days before the election date.
The statement further alleged that the NBA leadership became aware of the purported Electoral Committee’s decision to clear John Aikpokpo-Martins to be returned unopposed as the candidate for the Chairmanship of SPIDEL despite clear constitutional provisions barring him from running for the same office for a second term.
“The leadership also discovered that, despite the myriad of constitutional breaches, the purported Electoral Committee had also drawn up a list of what appeared to be hand-picked nominees of John Aikpokpo-Martins to be equally returned unopposed as elected officers of SPIDEL,” the statement said.
According to the statement, worried about these developments, the NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, requested Prof. Paul Ananaba, SAN, to convene an emergency meeting of the SPIDEL leadership, past chairmen, and other stakeholders to avert an electoral crisis.
“At this meeting, these breaches were highlighted, and it was agreed that the purported election could not go on and that it was better for the stakeholders to agree on a harmonised leadership for the Section,” the statement explained.
It was at this meeting that a harmonized list of names to be presented to the Annual General Meeting (AGM) was agreed upon. The statement noted that Kunle Edun SAN, erroneously reported to have resigned as chairman of the Electoral Committee, not only participated in the proceedings but accepted the arrangement and even nominated himself as a Council member.
The statement addressed allegations by Dr. Anne Agi that the NBA President rejected her as Secretary of SPIDEL because she did not support him during the presidential election.
“It is therefore laughable for Dr. Anne Agi to claim that the NBA President rejected her as Secretary of SPIDEL because she did not support him. This would suggest that Dr. Anne Agi has a very low opinion of the NBA President,” the statement said.
It cited the example of Dr. Ada Anaghara, who did not support the President but was still appointed as Chief Rapporteur at the 2025 NBA Conference, noting that supporters of all three presidential candidates were evenly appointed to various positions.
The statement also debunked Agi’s allegation that the NBA President declined her invitation to the launch of her book, “Space Law 101 For Beginners,” because she did not support him.
“A simple Google search showed that Anne Agi’s allegation is not only false but unfortunate. The search showed the book was presented at the inaugural meeting of Space Law and Arbitration Association of Nigeria (SLAA) in March 2022 and launched via Zoom on Saturday, August 13, 2022, during the tenure of Olumide Akpata as NBA President, shortly after the election of YC Maikyau and long before Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN commenced his campaign for the office,” the statement clarified.
The statement also addressed claims by Tosan Barbara Onwubiko that the NBA President harbors animosity toward her because of her closeness to John Aikpokpo-Martins.
“There would have been a need to respond to one Tosan Barbara Onwubiko’s head-scratching spin that the NBA President hates her because of her closeness to John Aikpokpo-Martins. How does one prove that John Aikpokpo-Martins and the NBA President are very good friends who may only have disagreed on John Aikpokpo-Martins’ eligibility to run for SPIDEL Chairmanship and nothing more,” the statement said.
The statement concluded with a call for unity, acknowledging that SPIDEL has gone through a crisis period and urging members to work together to allow the Section to function.
1st Vice Statement on SIDEL“Whatever decision was taken at that meeting was to avert a crisis and also bring the tenure of Prof. Paul Ananaba SAN-led caretaker leadership to an end. If any mistake was made in adopting that mode to avert a crisis, it is assured that it was made with good intentions and not any ill motive. Please let us move and join hands to ensure that peace returns to SPIDEL,” the statement concluded.
Bridget Edokwe, Esq Statement on SIDEP
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