Mazi Afam Osigwe Drags NBA To Court Over His Disqualification To Run For The Office of NBA President

Mazi Afam Osigwe has finally instituted an action against the Nigerian Bar Association and its Electoral Committee (ECNBA) over his disqualification to the run for the office of the NBA President. He made this known to the legal community via a press release in the early hours of today, the 11th day do July, 2018. According to him, it pains him to drag NBA to Court, but he has no choice for in as much as he loves the NBA, he also loves Justice the more. Below read his press statement I LOVE NBA BUT I LOVE JUSTICE MORE Dear colleagues and friends, I respectfully write to inform you I have instituted an action in court to challenge my unjustifiable disqualification and wrongful exclusion from contesting the Nigerian Bar Association Presidency by ECNBA. I had to take the difficult decision of instituting an action against the NBA as well as the Electoral Committee of NBA not only to expose abuse of power in NBA but also to ensure that such practice has no place at the Bar. NBA must be a shining light of democratic tenets. It was difficult suing an Association one seeks to lead but that decision was made easy by the need not to allow impunity and lawlessness to prevail in NBA. It was either, allow grave electoral injustice or have a court make a pronouncement on it. I ultimately chose to be true to my conscience and the charge I was given after my Call to Bar “to now go forth in my ..wig .. to serve Nigeria and serve humanity in justice without fear or favour, affection or ill-will.” To those who think it is wrong for me to go to court to challenge an injustice, I ask, “Must we remain politically correct and allow NBA to shamelessly descend into impunity and lawlessness? Is it better to accept whatever is dished out to us even when we know it offends everything we stand for? Is it desperation to ventilate a grievance?” I think not. I love NBA. It pains me to sue it but my strong dislike for injustice and lawlessness, dictates that the matter be taken to court to prevent the object of our love (NBA) from being messed up. NBA will die if its soul is taken over by undemocratic forces and lovers of injustice. We have a collective duty to prevent that. We must drain the swamp in the NBA. We must open and democratize the NBA, and make sure that it keeps faith with its motto. We must make sure the Association regains its relevance, so that those who think that others cannot thrive in the NBA are not allowed to have their way. We must not give way to those who think they can arbitrarily determine who can, and who cannot, be in the NBA. It is our Association, and until we take it back, we’re wasting our time. This is why I have chosen to take this course. Until those who abuse their office or powers learn that their actions will not go unchallenged, impunity will continue to thrive . I once more thank my supporters who have kept faith with me. I salute their courage. I will never be able to thank them adequately for their love, counsel, support and encouragement . Together we will emerge victorious . May God bless you all. Mazi Afam Osigwe]]>