A Lagos based legal practitioner, Olasupo Ojo Esq. has written to the Electoral Commission of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) demanding full compliance with the micro zoning provision of the NBA Constitution.

In his letter dated 21st of March, 2022 and sighted by TheNigeriaLawyer, the Lawyer said adhering to the Micro zoning provision is in line with the recommendation of Electoral Reform and Audit Committee in order to ensure that no group and/or section in a geographical zone is marginalized and the unity of the bar is preserved.

He also said this is in line with section 9(3) [now section 10(5)] of the NBA Constitution and paragraphs 2.2(B) and 2.3(D) [now paragraphs 1 & 4, part IV] of the second schedule thereto on the 2022 NBA National Officers’ election.
He further stated that the micro zoning arrangement was approved by the NBA-NEC meeting held March, 2021, and no contrary decision has been reached till date.

“…the Electoral Reform and Audit Committee had recommended that the micro zoning provision in the NBA Constitution should be strictly adhered to in order to ensure that no group and/or section in a geographical zone is marginalized and the unity of the bar is preserved. This recommendation was approved, adopted and endorsed by the National Executive Council as reflected in the communiqué issued by the President and General Secretary of the Association on 18th March, 2021.There was no contrary decision and/or resolution reached at the 2021 Annual General Meeting in Port-Harcourt on this adopted recommendation.”

He further stated that considering that the different sections/groups that make up each geographical zone are the geopolitical zones/blocs therein, the legitimate expectation from the ECNBA was for the preliminary notice of election to specifically indicate the particular sections/groups in the zones and the component states for each of the zoned positions.

He expressed shock that the preliminary notice of election recently issued by the ECNBA did not specify the sections or groups in the component states in line with the mandatory provision on micro zoning.

I, just like other concerned members of the Bar, was therefore taken aback when I read the preliminary notice of election which did not specify the sections/groups and the component states in line with the mandatory micro zoning provision of the NBA Constitution. For the sake of emphasis, I hereby reproduce the provision of paragraph 4 of Part IV of the second schedule to the NBA Constitution thus:

“Where a position is zoned to any particular geographical zone, the position shall be rotated and held in turn by the different groups and/or sections in the geographical zone.”

He said there is no doubt that the office of the President, Second Vice President and General Secretary are zoned to the Northern, Eastern and Western Zones respectively. Olasupo further wrote that all that it left to be done is the reflection of the specific groups and/or sections within each of the Zones that should contest and hold the zoned officers in line with the micro zoning arrangement.

He complained that; “This has not been done up till this moment although the
guidelines are yet to be released.”

He stated that The NBA, as a professional body of lawyers, cannot continue to break its own rules and/or disregard the rule of law. “As lawyers, we must always be seen to uphold the rule of law both in our words and actions. It is based on this same philosophy of upholding the rule of law that I deem it necessary to write to the ECNBA again in respect of the issues raised herein. I am finding it increasingly difficult to understand why an Association like NBA should find it difficult to obey its own rules. It is getting tiresome.”

He urged the ECNBA to give effect to the provisions of the Constitution regarding micro zoning of the offices in the upcoming election.

“I therefore urge the ECNBA to urgently fully give effect to the provisions of the NBA Constitution (including the binding micro zoning provisions) and administer the applicable rules fairly and firmly in line with the Commitment of the Committee as restated in your letter dated 1st February, 2022 to me.”