The Nigerian Bar Association has said only its National Executive Council can direct the postponement of the 2026 NBA National Officers’ Election, insisting that the Attorney-General of the Federation has no constitutional power to disband the Electoral Committee of the NBA or halt the electoral process.
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The NBA stated this in a press release dated July 7, 2026, and signed by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, following the circulation of a document said to be a report of a sub-committee and comments allegedly attributed to the Attorney-General of the Federation.
According to the NBA, the purported report allegedly directed the disbandment of the ECNBA, postponement of the election, termination of the appointment of the current election service provider, appointment of a new service provider, setting up of a caretaker committee to conduct the election, incorporation of National Identification Number into the voting process, and “recalibration” of the NBA Constitution to take away universal suffrage.
The association rejected the purported directives, describing them as unconstitutional, ultra vires the powers of the Attorney-General and an attempt to bring the NBA under the control of the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The NBA maintained that it is an independent body and is not subject to the control or directives of the Attorney-General or any other arm of government.
“For the record, the Nigerian Bar Association is an independent body not under the control of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation,” the statement said.
The NBA said by Section 10(2) of the Legal Practitioners Act, the circumstances under which a body outside the NBA may interfere in the association’s activities are clearly stated, adding that none of such circumstances had occurred to justify the purported directives.
The association also argued that the Attorney-General could not grant reliefs similar to those being sought in two Egbe Amofin suits pending before the High Court of Oyo State.
It said the Attorney-General, whether as convener of a mediation meeting or as Chief Law Officer of the Federation, was at best a party or mediator and could not issue binding directives to parties in a dispute already before the court.
The NBA explained that it attended the meeting convened by the Attorney-General as a co-respondent for the purpose of amicable resolution of the suit commenced by Egbe Amofin, which gave rise to Appeal No. CA/IB/110/2026, between Aham Ejelam, SAN, and four others against Ibrahim Lawal and seven others.
According to the NBA, any suggested resolution from such a meeting could only become binding if accepted by all parties and could not be treated as a directive that must be obeyed.
The association further stated that the resolution of the meeting of June 11, 2026, was that the sub-committee should report back to the entire body at a reconvened meeting.
It said, from the face of the purported report, those who attended the June 11 meeting were not availed a copy of the report or given an opportunity to make input before the purported directions were issued.
The NBA said it considered the report suspect because it was not contained in an official letter from the Attorney-General’s office, adding that the association had not received any communication from the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation on the matter.
The association also faulted the composition and alleged role of the sub-committee, saying it was only meant to liaise with contending parties for the purpose of overseeing the withdrawal of the pending actions and was not empowered to investigate or condemn the NBA President.
The NBA said the alleged reliance on memoranda submitted by some candidates to make findings against the President violated the constitutional safeguard of fair hearing, since the President was never served with the documents to enable him respond.
It further argued that if the sub-committee was empowered to review the issues, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, who it described as a proponent of the plaintiffs’ cases, could not chair such a body because of alleged bias and lack of neutrality.
The statement said the purported sub-committee report and alleged directives were beyond the committee’s remit and biased.
The NBA also rejected calls for the incorporation of NIN into the electoral process at this stage, saying it had conducted a risk assessment since the issue was raised by Aare Muyiwa Akinboro, SAN.
It said the association had concluded that modifying the current platform configuration could truncate the election, especially as the National Identity Management Commission platform may not be able to accommodate a surge in authentication requests during the election period.
On the status of the ECNBA, the NBA said the electoral committee had not been shown to have done anything wrong since its constitution.
It also defended the appointment of the election service provider, rejecting the argument that a service provider should be disqualified merely because it operates as a sole proprietorship.
According to the NBA, such an argument is discriminatory, especially as many legal practitioners, including members of the committee, operate sole proprietorship law offices and continue to deliver professional services.
The NBA stated categorically that the national officers’ electoral process would continue as scheduled by the ECNBA.
It added that the association has clear constitutional decision-making bodies, and the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation is not one of them.
The statement concluded by reaffirming the NBA’s commitment to due process and the rule of law.
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