NBA Ikeja Branch Chairmanship Aspirants Drag Caretaker Committee To Court, Seek Injunction To Restrain Branch Election

Three of the four aspirants vying for the office of the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch have approached the Court seeking an order to restrain the Branch election.

This is contained in a suit instituted by Daniel Okoye, Esq., Amanda Asagba Esq., and Akeem Aponmade Esq vide an originating summons.

However, in a motion on notice dated 25th day of September, 2020 they craved the Court to restrain the election to be conducted by the Committee.

“AN ORDER OF INTERLOCUTORY INJUNCTION restraining the defendants, either by themselves, their agents, privies, servants whatsoever and howsoever described from conducting or supervising the conduct of any election into all offices of Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association slated to take place on the 29th of September, 2020 or any other dates whatsoever at the Ikeja Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association pending the determination of the motion on notice and the substantive suit/originating summons”

Furthermore, they seek an order of interlocutory injunction to restrain “Mr. Bisi Ade Ademuwagun, Mr. Adebamigbe Omole (4th and 5th Defendants) and their co-opted members of the purported Caretaker Committee namely, Mrs. Caroline Ibeh and Fausat Bakare from taking any further steps to conduct any election” in the Branch.

In addition, they sought an order of interlocutory injunction to restrain the NBA, its President, and General Secretary from recognizing the Caretaker Committee to conduct any election for the Branch.

However, they contend that by the dint of Article 11(1)(a) of the NBA Uniform Bye-Laws for Branches, 2015 the minimum numbers of persons to constitute a Caretaker Committee is three former Chairmen of the Branch.

In addition, the contended that by the resignation of Mr. Monday Ubani, a former Chairman of the Branch, who was equally appointed as a member of the Caretaker Committee, it becomes “ceased to be properly constituted and therefore became automatically dissolved or incapable of acting “.

Similarly, it was stated that since the Committee is now less than the required as constituted, “the other two members have lost the legal platform to function as a committee to conduct any election” for the Branch.

However, the Claimants have written the Committee Chair, Mr. Bisi Ade Ademuwagun vide a letter through their Counsel, Mr. Ademola Ijaoba, Esq drawing his attention to the pending suit before the Court, urging the Committee “not to foist a fait accompli on the Court”.

No date is however yet to be fixed for hearing.