NBA 2022 Election: Controversy As ECNBA Technical Consultant in Controversial 2018 Elections Reapplies For Role

The Firm – Integrated Technologies Limited – Admits Offering Consultancy Services In The Disputed Elections

There has been grumbling and murmuring within legal circles and stakeholders in the forthcoming Nigerian Bar Association 2022 Elections following the ECNBA’s announcement of selected Technical Support Consultants picked after the expiration of its request for applications from interested entities for the role.

THENIGERIALAWYER, reported on a Public Notice issued yesterday by the ECNBA requesting feedback from NBA stakeholders on the appropriateness of two major ICT organizations seeking to fill the position of ECNBA Technical Consultant. Finesse Integrated Technologies Limited and Thriveonus Limited, both situated in Abuja, are the two firms.

Finesse Integrated Technologies Limited included “NBA – Technical Consultant to the ECNBA for the 2018 NBA general elections” among its many activities, particularly in the legal area. In an otherwise impressive resume, it also worked for the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the Court of Appeal, the National Judicial Institute (NJI), and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).

The tech firm’s resume has however evoked memories of the controversy which surrounded the 2018 NBA Elections which is widely labelled as highly flawed by those privy to the process.

THENIGERIALAWYER(TNL), reported that the 2018 election attracted widespread criticism from within and outside the legal profession. A former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) who is also a current member of the ECNBA, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu in 2018 expressed his disappointment at the election when he wrote: “Under the constitution of the association, the ballot was to have concluded before the end of July. A cocktail of implausible cock-ups had conspired to defer the completion of the ballot by three weeks beyond the constitutionally permissible date.”

He further wrote, “The figures announced by the ECNBA suggested a very spirited contest. In reality, the outcome was pre-determined. The ECNBA and the NBA leadership of AB Mahmoud SAN had presided over the most willfully manipulated ballot in the history of the association.” While Usoro emerged victorious with 4,509 votes, Chief Arthur Obi-Okafor SAN and former Deputy Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof. Ernest Ojukwu SAN polled 4, 423 and 3, 313 votes respectively.

Odinkalu observed that the process leading to the engagement of CRENET, a new election data service provider, was shrouded in secrecy, adding: “One phone number in particular, 0807 410 7787 accounted for 41 voters; 0810 642 1702 accounted for 32 voters, while 0806 402 8401 accounted for 18. Between them, these three numbers alone accounted for 91 votes, that is six votes more than the announced margin of 86 votes between the declared winner and the runner up.”

Giving the controversies and rife allegations of fraud, manipulation and corruption which trailed the election, Obi Okafor who finished behind Paul Usoro according to the results declared, instituted a petition at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which led to the investigation and the prosecution of two lawyers.

The EFCC in the suit marked FHC/L/118c/2020 and signed by its counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, alleged that the accused persons altered 1004 eligible voters’ personal details and cast votes for the former NBA president by impersonating voters through fraudulently using the Supreme Court Enrolment Numbers of some lawyers.

“A voting procedure that was intended to be flawless ended up with at least eight deferrals and one suspension,” Odinkalu said. Every step of the way was torturous.”

Ojukwu offered nothing but critical remarks for the election’s conduct. He said that “huge vote buying, vote capture, cheating, and a biased procedure” characterized the election.

The controversy that greeted the 2018 election, as well as the ones before and after it, prompted the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) to form a five-man committee to evaluate the 2018 and 2020 elections in collaboration with the NBA. Chief Joe Kyari-Gadzama, SAN, Mr. Osaro Eghobamien, SAN, Chief Yomi Aliu, SAN, Prof. Offornze Amucheazi, SAN, and Mr. Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa, SAN were among the members of the committee.

Also, following up on his promise in his inaugural address to review the association’s electoral process and leave the lawyers’ body with a faultless electoral system, NBA President Mr. Olumide Akpata established the Mr. Ayodele Akintunde SAN-led “Electoral Reform and Audit Committee” on September 30, 2020 to examine the elections of National Officers of the NBA in 2016, 2018, and 2020 and suggest improvements (if any) of the electoral process, according to the committee’s articles of reference. Akintunde must now work the talk by adopting his committee’s recommendations oriented toward a free, fair, and credible NBA Election, in addition to delivering a full report on the misconduct that has plagued previous NBA Elections.

As at the time of filing this report, there was yet to be a reaction from the management of the Finesse Integrated Technologies Limited on its role in the 2018 Election.