*Says A Session With Leading Political Candidates Is Part And Parcel Of The AGC

The President of the Nigeria Bar Association, Olumide Akpata, has described as unfounded the ideas that the NBA is seeking to take a political stance in the 2023 Nigeria general election.

Akpata described the invite extended to selected presidential candidates to discuss the critical national issues at the upcoming NBA Annual General Conference, in August 2022, as only part of the regular session at the AGC.

Reacting to media report that the session at the AGC would be a manifesto night for the leading presidential candidates including, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressive Congress, Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party, among others; said

“It is not a Manifesto night or afternoon, it is a regular session at the conference where we are interrogating the issue of democracy in transition and the leadership deficit that we have identified in this country.

“So it is the normal same conference format of four people sitting down, one moderator asking questions; they will have opportunity to make Opening statements and then take questions from the moderator and thereafter Q/A from lawyers like any other regular conference sessions. It is not a manifesto night

“I have received calls from candidates or their representatives as to why the NBA has decided to determine for Nigerians who the leading political parties are; WE HAVE DONE NO SUCH THINGS

“Some have gone far as to write to invite themselves to the session and we have disabused their minds that that is not the case

“Some have even raised the issue as to why the smaller political parties were sidelined and we have tried to deal with the issues”

Akpata also noted that their leadership of the NBA would “ensure as much as we can that many more of the candidates to the extent that they are interested, can be in the room. We will extend invitations to them; They may not be on the stage like the four advertised persons but they will be in the room and we will try and ensure that the event allows for them to air their views as far as time will permit.

“We are bending over backward to show that it is not the intention and just to add my voice in saying the NBA CAN NOT, WILL NOT, endorse one two, or three parties

“We are apolitical as an organization; our members may be political but as an organization, we are not.