Retired judge backs NIN verification for NBA elections, calls for reforms

Justice Taiwo Taiwo, a retired judge of the Federal High Court and former Second Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has endorsed the use of the National Identification Number (NIN) for verifying eligible voters in NBA elections. He asserts that this measure is crucial for enhancing transparency and rebuilding trust in the association's electoral system.

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I am disturbed, to say the least, about the discordant tunes concerning the elections to offices in the NBA.

Justice Taiwo stated that he had anticipated the current electoral controversies within the NBA, having publicly warned about them during his valedictory court session in 2022. He expressed that while he was "shocked but honestly not surprised" by the ongoing crisis surrounding the NBA elections, the concerns about the credibility of the electoral process have persisted for years, leading to numerous legal challenges by aggrieved members.

Recalling his valedictory speech in September 2022, Justice Taiwo reiterated his call for comprehensive reforms to the NBA's electoral system. He argued that the outcome of NBA presidential elections should not appear predetermined before the incumbent completes their tenure. He shared his personal experience of being informed about a future NBA president's selection before the then-president's term had ended, questioning how such a situation was possible without clairvoyance.

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I am of the firm view that the election of the President of the NBA ought to transcend a situation where the next President is known before a new one is sworn in.

To further promote transparency, Justice Taiwo proposed that lawyers should vote electronically from their respective NBA branches on election day, similar to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) system. This approach, he believes, would maintain the benefits of electronic voting while ensuring greater openness. He also reaffirmed his support for the ongoing implementation of NIN verification for voter eligibility in NBA elections.

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I want to propose that on election day, all those interested in voting will go to their various branches physically to vote electronically, as is being done by INEC. This will ensure transparency in the electoral process in the NBA.