INVESTIGATION: ICT Partner For NBA 2018 Election Not Affiliated With Paul Usoro SAN

Secretary to the NBA Electoral Committee, Mr. Bolaji Agoro has debunked the media report making the round that the ICT Partner hired by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to anchor the forthcoming general elections is one of the leading presidential candidate’s Co-Director, Paul Usoro, SAN. In a chat with The Nigerian Lawyer (TNL), Mr. Bolaji Agoro described the story as cheap blackmail. “We didn’t hire any company linked with any of the contestants. The committee deliberated on it and responded accordingly,” he claimed. The General Secretary of the Nigeria Bar Association, Aare Isiaka Abiola Olagunju also affirmed that the story is false as the contract was awarded to an independent ICT firm known as CHAMS Plc. The Nigeria Lawyer (TNL) also gathered that one of the reasons the contract was not awarded to Grace Infotech Limited (Law Pavilion) was because they anchored the election which brought in A.B Mahmoud into power which resulted into a legal battle between Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama SAN, the defeated presidential candidate in the 2016 Elections, and the current president. Also, based on the fact that the matter is still in court, it is only fair that a company other than Grace Infotech Limited (Law pavilion) is contracted to handle the election, so it was affirmed. This, according to NBA is the right step in the right direction, as it will give a signal for a free and fair election. As at the time this report was filed, ECNBA is yet to make the press statement. TheNigerialawyer (TNL) recalls that City Lawyers Magazine has categorically stated that their investigation shows that the ICT partner contracted for the forthcoming election is Mr. Paul Usoro’s Co-director.]]>