The office of the General Secretary is zoned to the Eastern zone in the forthcoming NBA National elections and by virtue of the NBA Constitution, the position should rotate among the various groups/sections that make up the Eastern zone.

I will like to emphasize that competence and ability to discharge the function of the office for which one is elected should be of priority. Therefore, we must match competence with a rotation of power.

In the light of the above, having considered that the last NBA General Secretary came from the South East, it will be just and equitable to allow the office this time to rotate to states outsides the south East, e.g Rivers, Cross River, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, as this is in line with the letters and spirit of the NBA Constitutional concept of rotation. Those advocating for the formation of South-South South Bar Forum should rather channel their efforts at ensuring strict compliance with the NBA Constitution as regards rotation within the geographical zones.

See below the provisions of the NBA Constitution:

Article 9(3) of the NBA Constitution provides thus:

For the purpose of election into National offices, the country shall be divided into three zones as set out in the second schedule.

See the second schedule to the NBA Constitution:

ELECTION OF NATIONAL OFFICERS
(a) The Association shall for the purpose of elections of National Officers be divided into three geopolitical zones name- Northern zone, Eastern zone, and Western zone.

(b) The positions of the President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, 3rd Vice President, and General Secretary shall rotate among the three zones. In determining the eligibility of a candidate to contest for any position of the rotated offices, regard shall be had to a candidate’s Geographical Zone of origin and not the geographical zone where he/she carries on legal practice.

(c) The Geographical Zone that produces the President of the Association shall also produce the 1st Vice President.

( d) Where a position is zoned to any particular geographical zone, the position shall be rotated and be held in turn by the different groups and/or sections in the geographical zone.
(e) A list of the states that make up the zones shall be as follows:

(I) Northern zone – Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and Abuja.

(ii) Eastern zone – Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Enugu, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Cross River, Imo, and Rivers.

(iii) Western zone – Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo.

(f) All members of the Association shall be eligible to vote at the general election for National Executives, provided that such members must belong to a branch and must have paid both their Pratising Fees and branch dues as at when due, and are duly registered to vote at the election.

Kindly find below the list of past NBA General Secretaries from the Eastern zone.

Past Secretaries from East

1. Mr Clement Obi Okwusogu SAN

2. Chief Philip Umeh

3. Chief Emeka Obegolu

4. Mazi Afam Osigwe

South South

1. Nimi Walson Jack.
2. Ibrahim Eddy Mark.

As we await the constitution of the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA), I humbly make a passionate appeal that the concept of rotation within the geographical zones be evoked and due compliance strictly observed.

Written By Azebi Bobobraye Anthony past Secretary and Chairman, NBA Yenagoa