EXTRA: NBA DECIDES 2018: ECNBA Secretary Discloses Why Mazi Afam Osigwe Was Not Cleared, As Osigwe Reacts To ECNBA's Decision

* Mazi Afam Osigwe has not been disqualified, ECNBA. Secretary affirms *Mazi Afam Osigwe boasts of knowing the reason for ECNBA’s decision, Says He is not Surprised Information now has it that one of the aspirants for the NBA presidential election, Mazi Afam Osigwe has changed his Branch membership status from Abuja to Nnewi. This was disclosed to TheNigerialawyer by an undisclosed source. According to the source, Mr. Osigwe changed his membership status in order to obtain a Letter of good standing (which requires inter-alia that you must have been a financial member of the Branch for 3 consecutive years). He further added in his opinion that the move by Mr. Osigwe was a very costly mistake. ”I am obviously not one of his supporters, but I feel bad for him. This must be devastating,” the source said. Sources also revealed that he made this move, to enable him to be eligible to contest the forthcoming NBA General Election, wherein he would be vying for the post of the president. According to one of his supporters posts on social media, Afam made the move due to the crisis in NBA Abuja and fear that Electoral Committee of NBA will not accept any letter of introduction or endorsement signed by factional Chairman Ezenwa Anumn. Since Ezenwa’s refusal to respect Aba NEC resolution, NBA has treated him like a leper and he had not attended any NEC, so it was disclosed. However, Afam Osigwe earlier this morning, released a press statement showing that the whole news of him not being cleared is not coming as a surprise. From his words, he affirmed that certain persons had been boosting about that fact. ”I woke up this morning to the news that the 2018 Electoral Committee of our great association had not cleared me to run for the position of President of our association. ”I must confess that this unfortunate decision had not taken me by surprise given that certain highly placed members of our association had been boasting long before nominations closed that I would never be cleared.” He further stated that ECNBA has not given him a good reason for the decision taken, adding that he is going to write a letter to the committee for more clarification. ”The Electoral Committee has not provided any reason for my non-clearance. I will write to the Committee presently to request an explanation for this curious decision,” he said. Speaking with the ECNBA. Secretary, Mr. Bolaji Agoro, TheNigerialawyer gathered that letters have been written to those not cleared, including Mr. Osigwe. According to the source, the letters explained the reasons why the affected persons were not cleared. Not only that, seven days were given to the affected persons to appeal against the decision of the committee if dissatisfied. He maintained that those not cleared are not necessarily disqualified. ”That’s why we chose our words not to say they are disqualified pending when the appeal would have been considered. ”The reasons vary from one contestant to the other. But mostly based on the nomination papers filed before us. ”Basically, some were not properly sponsored in line with the provisions of the NBA Constitution and the election guidelines. In a chat with Mr. Osigwe concerning the rumour that he had defected from Abuja branch to Nnewi Bar, Mr. Osigwe said that there’s no such place in the constitution that will warrant him not being cleared.]]>