NNBA Out To Destabilise NBA ― NBA, Plateau Chair

Plateau State chairman of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Bawa has stated that there is no division in Northern NBA, saying those behind the formation of New Nigeria Bar Association (NNBA) are acting the script of some politicians who want to destabilise NBA.

Speaking with Tribune Online in Jos, Plateau State, Bawa who said findings revealed that those behind the formation of NNBA were from Zaria and part of Jigawa branches of the association, said the decision to disinvite the Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State to the NBA conference was a collective decision of members based on the petition against him.

“The NBA is not bothered about the purported formation of NNBA, even in Kaduna, they are few. I am leading the third largest NBA in the North, these are people from Zaria and partly Jigawa branches. They can’t go anywhere, Plateau and other branches in the North are not part of them.

“You cannot take away the insinuation that they are being sponsored. There are people instigating them and fanning the ember of discord to weaken the NBA.”

He said some members filed a petition against el-Rufai “and more than 4,000 lawyers signed the petition. If members said they don’t want a particular person to use their platform, the Association just has to abide by the view of the majority.”

According to him, it was wrong for any person or group to give it ethnic or religious connotation or colouration, adding that when the matter was tabled before the NEC of NBA, a final decision was taken based on a superior argument.

“I am a core northerner, I am not part of the decision. I don’t hate el-Rufai for any reason, but our members said they don’t want him to come. As responsible leaders, we must listen to the yearning and aspirations of our members. When we tabled it before the NEC, nobody could bring up a superior argument to knock it off,” he said.