The Port Harcourt Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is embroiled in a leadership crisis following a controversial decision by Branch Chairman Mrs. Cordelia Uwuma Eke to dissolve the branch’s Social Committee, chaired by Social Secretary Mary S. Dikibo.
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The decision, announced in a letter dated July 12, 2025, titled “Notice of Reconstitution of the NBA PH Branch Social Committee,” cited alleged insubordination, disobedience, and failure to follow directives as reasons for the dissolution. The move, made without consultation with the branch’s Executive Committee or general membership, has sparked significant backlash and raised concerns about democratic governance within the association.
Mrs. Eke’s letter accused the Social Committee of failing to deliver on organizing the branch’s upcoming annual cocktail event, scheduled for July 25, 2025. She unilaterally dissolved the committee and appointed a 22-member ad hoc committee, led by Dr. Peter Ayogu, to take over the event’s planning, relegating Ms. Dikibo to an ex-officio role. The chairman claimed her actions were in line with Section 7(1), Schedule 2 of the NBA Constitution 2015 (as amended), though Ms. Dikibo clarified that the cited section pertains to elections, not social committee functions, suggesting a reliance on Section 7(1) of Schedule 3 (Uniform Bye-Laws for Branches).
In a swift response, Ms. Dikibo issued a detailed rebuttal on the same day, alleging a pattern of undue interference by Mrs. Eke in the Social Committee’s duties. She cited instances including the chairman’s insistence on hiring her biological son as a soloist for the 2024 Annual Branch Dinner, imposing her preferred vendors, and demanding a N1.5 million event planner for the 2025 cocktail despite the committee’s objections. Ms. Dikibo noted that the committee had secured vendors offering better services, such as intercontinental chops for 350 guests at N1.295 million, compared to the chairman’s vendor proposing puff-puff for N1.347 million. She argued that the dissolution violated Section 7(7)(a)-(c) and Section 8(6) of the NBA Bye-Laws, which empower the Social Secretary to organize social events and require Executive Committee approval for such decisions.
Statement-by-the-Social-Secretary-2025The Vice Chairman, Emmanuel John, also issued a disclaimer on July 12, 2025, distancing himself and other Executive Committee members from Mrs. Eke’s decision. He described the move as “arbitrary and dictatorial,” violating Sections 7(7) and 10(2) of the NBA Constitution, which mandate the Social Secretary’s role in organizing social events. Mr. John called for an immediate reversal of the decision and a formal branch meeting to address the issue, warning that the chairman’s actions set a dangerous precedent for the association’s democratic principles.
NOTICE-OF-DISCLAIMERIn response to the growing tension, 60 concerned branch members signed a requisition for an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) under Section 11 of the Third Schedule of the NBA Constitution, seeking to address the issue before the cocktail event. It remains uncertain whether Mrs. Eke will convene the EGM, as the situation threatens to escalate into a full-blown crisis within the branch.
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