ECNBA Defies Court Order, Issues Fresh Notice for NBA 2026 Election Nominations
Controversy surrounding the 2026 National Officers’ Election of the Nigerian Bar Association has deepened following the issuance of a fresh notice by the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) calling for nominations for the upcoming elections, despite a subsisting court order restraining the committee from acting.
The notice, titled “ECNBA Notice No. 6: Request for Nominations for the Elections of National Officers and the Representatives of NBA in the General Council of the Bar,” was issued on March 16, 2026 and signed by the Chairman of the committee, Aham Ejelam, SAN, and the Secretary, Ibrahim Aliyu Nassarawa, Esq who were both restrained by the court order.
The development has generated debate among lawyers as it comes shortly after an interim order issued by the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan restrained members of the ECNBA from acting in furtherance of the conduct of the 2026 NBA National Officers’ Election.
In the ruling delivered by Justice G. A. Opayinka, the court restrained the 5th to 9th defendants — who constitute the ECNBA leadership — from parading themselves as Chairman, Secretary or members of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association or from performing, undertaking or participating in any step or process connected with the conduct of the 2026 NBA National Officers’ Election pending the hearing and determination of a motion for interlocutory injunction.
Despite the order, the newly issued ECNBA notice invites interested members of the Nigerian Bar Association to obtain nomination forms to contest for the positions of National Officers of the association as well as representatives of the NBA in the General Council of the Bar.
According to the notice, the request for nominations was made pursuant to Section 10 of the Constitution of the Nigerian Bar Association 2015 (as amended in 2025) and Parts III and IV of the Second Schedule to the Constitution.
The ECNBA stated that intending candidates may obtain nomination forms from the ECNBA Secretariat located at No. 9 Oro Ago Crescent, Garki, Abuja, or download the forms electronically through the committee’s official communication channels.
The notice also outlined eligibility requirements for candidates, stating that a candidate must be nominated by a member of the NBA and seconded by another member who is qualified to vote for the position being sought in accordance with the provisions of the NBA Constitution.
Candidates are also required to submit curriculum vitae not exceeding four pages, manifestoes, and other campaign materials for publication on the NBA website and other official media platforms operated by the association.
In addition, the ECNBA stated that candidates must comply with constitutional eligibility requirements which include being a Nigerian citizen, not being a member of any registered political party in Nigeria, not having been adjudged bankrupt, not having been declared mentally unfit by a competent medical authority, and not having been convicted of offences involving fraud or dishonesty or found guilty of professional misconduct by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee.
The notice further directs that completed nomination forms and supporting documents must be submitted in sealed envelopes clearly marked “ECNBA 2026” indicating the name of the candidate and the office being contested.
Such envelopes are to be delivered physically to the ECNBA Secretariat or sent through a registered courier service addressed to the Secretary of the Electoral Committee.
The committee fixed April 8, 2026 as the deadline for the submission of nomination forms.
