NBA Elections: A Reset for the Judiciary

The upcoming Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) elections are mired in controversy, highlighting a contentious debate over zoning practices and the influence of regional legal associations. This year, the NBA presidency is zoned to the South-west, with three Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) vying for the position: Lateef Akangbe, Olumuyiwa Akinboro, and Oyinkansola Badejo-Okunsanya.

Adding a layer of complexity, Egbe Amofin O’Odua, a prominent association of Yoruba lawyers, has asserted its role in selecting a consensus candidate. The association chose Olumuyiwa Akinboro and informed the NBA that the presidency, being zoned to the South-west, should be uncontested. This move has drawn criticism, with some arguing that professional bodies like the NBA should remain detached from political maneuvering, including zoning.

The situation escalated when Oyinkan Badejo-Okunsanya did not step down, prompting the NBA to state that a contest would proceed unless all candidates formally withdrew. In response, Egbe Amofin O’Odua sought and obtained an ex parte interim injunction from the Oyo High Court. The injunction restrains the NBA from recognizing or processing any candidate other than their chosen consensus candidate.

This legal intervention has intensified the debate, drawing parallels between the association's actions and the practices of political parties. The NBA's constitutionality in handling such internal selections and the broader implications for the independence and integrity of the legal profession in Nigeria are now under scrutiny. The Attorney General of the Federation has become involved in an attempt to resolve the matter.

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There is no justification for the existence of the judiciary, except in its existence for the defence of the citizen to put his vies across ith all potency, for him to vent his feelings and his success in the public for him to feel and breathe the air of freedom around him.