A legal practitioner, Umar Abdulahi Chiroma, Esq., has accused supporters of Aare Muyiwa Akinboro, SAN, of desperation in their attempt to impose him as President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/TheNigerialawyer-WhatsApp-Channel1.jpg")
In an article, Chiroma raised serious concerns about what he described as an orchestrated attempt to impose a preferred candidate on the entire association through litigation.
According to Chiroma, the latest episode points squarely to the activities of some supporters of Akinboro, whose actions now appear aimed less at winning an election and more at crippling the process that would allow members of the Bar to freely choose their leaders.
“What should ordinarily be a healthy democratic contest within the Bar is increasingly beginning to look like an orchestrated attempt to impose a preferred candidate on the entire association,” he stated.
Chiroma noted that the Yoruba Lawyers’ Forum, Egbe Amofin O’odua, adopted Aare Muyiwa Akinboro, SAN as its sole candidate for the forthcoming NBA presidential election.
“That decision in itself already raised eyebrows within the profession, particularly because there are other credible and qualified candidates from the same Yoruba extraction who are also in the race,” he said.
“The essence of democracy is the freedom to contest and allow the electorate decide. When a forum adopts a ‘sole candidate’ despite the presence of other candidates from the same region, it sends a troubling signal about the intention to narrow the democratic space.”
The lawyer revealed that colleagues who are known supporters of Akinboro’s political project and even the Egbe Amofin have now taken the extraordinary step of approaching courts in Oyo State and obtaining ex parte interim injunctions.
According to him, the orders restrain the Nigerian Bar Association and its organs from recognising, accepting or processing the nomination of any candidate other than the claimant’s consensus candidate for the office of President of the NBA in the forthcoming 2026 elections.
“The implication of these orders are profound. They effectively attempt to halt the entire electoral process of the NBA by preventing the association from processing or recognising candidates other than the supposed ‘consensus candidate.’ In other words, the order seeks to paralyse the democratic space within which members of the Bar are meant to freely contest and campaign for leadership of the association,” Chiroma stated.
He described the action as an attempt to judicially choke the democratic process of the NBA before the election even begins.
“This is not merely litigation. It is an attempt to judicially choke the democratic process of the NBA before the election even begins,” he said.
“The NBA is a national professional body with tens of thousands of members across the federation. Halting its electoral process through an ex parte order obtained without hearing the other side is not merely procedural manoeuvring; it strikes at the heart of the association’s democratic foundations.”
Chiroma questioned why anyone confident of victory would seek to stop the election itself.
“The question that inevitably arises is this: why would anyone who is confident of victory in a democratic contest seek to stop the election itself?” he asked.
“Elections are the ultimate test of popularity and credibility. If a candidate enjoys genuine support across the Bar, the logical path is to allow the election to proceed and let members freely exercise their franchise. Resorting to litigation designed to halt the process suggests something very different. It suggests anxiety about the outcome of a free and fair contest.”
The lawyer noted that the suit was filed in Ibadan, even though the Nigerian Bar Association is headquartered in Abuja and the administrative decisions being challenged were taken in Abuja.
“Many observers have interpreted this as a classic case of forum shopping, an attempt to secure a strategic judicial advantage capable of disrupting the electoral timetable of the Bar,” he stated.
“For an association that has historically been at the forefront of defending democracy and the rule of law in Nigeria, it is deeply ironic that some of its own members would now deploy similar tactics within the association itself.”
Chiroma acknowledged that ambition is not a crime but emphasised that it must be pursued within the boundaries of fairness.
“At the centre of all of this is the ambition to make Aare Muyiwa Akinboro, SAN President of the Nigerian Bar Association. Ambition in itself is not a crime. Every election produces aspirants who seek to lead the association. But ambition must be pursued within the boundaries of fairness, transparency, and respect for institutional processes,” he said.
“When the pursuit of office begins to threaten the very structures that make the election possible, it ceases to be healthy ambition and becomes something far more dangerous.”
The lawyer concluded by calling for the election to be allowed to proceed.
“The Nigerian Bar Association does not belong to any individual, group, or regional bloc. It belongs to all lawyers in Nigeria. Its leadership must emerge from a process that is open, credible, and free from manipulation,” he stated.
“The Bar deserves an election, not an imposition. It deserves a contest of ideas, not a strategy of obstruction. And above all, it deserves leaders who respect its democratic institutions enough to allow those institutions to function without interference.
“If those supporting Aare Muyiwa Akinboro, SAN truly believe in his candidacy, the most honourable path is simple: allow the election to proceed and let members of the Nigerian Bar Association decide.
“Anything short of that will continue to reinforce the growing perception that this is not about winning an election but about imposing a candidate at all costs.”
Get your copy today and take the first step toward financial growth:👉 https://selar.co/4f16676016
_______________________________________________________________________
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR LAWYERS: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE
Reimagine your practice with the power of AI “...this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic.” — Ohio Books Ltd
Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe, Esq., ACIArb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director, Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria.
Bonus:
Get a FREE eBook titled “How to Use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion” with every purchase.
How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌐 Website: www.benadigwe.com
Ebook Version: Access directly online at: https://selar.com/prv626
________________________________________________________________________ The Law And Practice Of Redundancy In Nigeria: A Practitioner’s Guide, Authored By A Labour & Employment Law Expert Bimbo Atilola
_______________________________________________________________________
[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
