The contestants for the office of the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch: Dan C. Okoye; Amanda Asagba; Akeem O. Aponmade and Terry Badmos, have petitioned the President of the NBA, Olumide Akpata, over the elections of the Branch slated for Tuesday 29th September, 2020.

The petitioners, in a letter dated 23rd September, 2020 drew the attention of the NBA President to the fact that a member of the Caretaker Committee, Monday Ubani, has resigned and the office of the Chairman has been excluded from the election

The letter reads in part, “We the underlisted contestants for the office of Chairman, NBA Ikeja Branch in the 2020 branch elections wish to bring the following information to your kind attention:

1. A member of the 3-man Caretaker Committee, Mr. Monday O. Ubani has resigned from the Committee
2. The remaining two members of the ‘Caretaker Committee’ have scheduled the branch elections for Tuesday 29th September, 2020
3. To the Utter surprise of the aforementioned candidates, the defunct Caretaker Committee has decided to conduct partial elections by excluding the office of the Chairman of the branch, citing some Supreme Court cases.”

According to the contestants, by virtue of Article 11(1)(a) of the Uniform Bye-law, the resignation of Ubani has brought the mandate of the Committee to an end and therefore the Committee has lost authority to conduct elections

“We are of the firm opinion that the Caretaker Committee has lost every moral and legal authority to conduct any election in NBA Ikeja on the eve of the expiration of the Committee’s mandate which by virtue of Article 11(1)(a) of the Uniform Bye-law, lapsed with the resignation of Mr. Monday O. Ubani, a past Chairman and former 2nd Vice President.” the petition reads in part

They, therefore, called on Akpata to call the Committee to order for elections of all offices to be conducted simultaneously as envisaged by Uniform Bye-law and to avoid ridiculing the profession.

“Sir, we seek your urgent intervention by calling the two members of the Committee (Messrs Bisi Ademuwagun and Adebamige Omole) to order and in order not to ridicule the image of our noble profession. We are strongly persuaded that the elections to the various offices in the branch should be conducted simultaneously as envisaged by our extant Uniform Bye-law.

“Thank you, our dear president and he assured of our highest regards at all times” The letter concluded.