Don’t Lend Your Reputation to a ceremonial Election : Ex-NBA Vice President, Clement Ugo Chukwuemeka, Esq, Tells EU, UK, US, Yiaga Africa Ahead of 2026 Poll

Fresh controversy has emerged ahead of the 2026 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) National Elections following a strongly worded statement by former NBA Second Vice President, Clement Ugo Chukwuemeka, Esq, who questioned both the independence of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) and the manner in which international and domestic election observers were reportedly invited to monitor the polls.

In a lengthy public statement released on Friday, Chukwuemeka argued that election observation should never become a mere ceremonial exercise capable of conferring legitimacy on an electoral process that has not been independently verified.

According to him, while the reported invitation of respected organisations such as the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Yiaga Africa, the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) and other election observers reflects a democratic ideal, such invitations would be of limited value unless the observers are granted unrestricted technical access to independently examine every material component of the electronic voting process.

He warned that merely witnessing the announcement of election results without examining the technological infrastructure behind the election—including voter authentication systems, hosting environment, audit logs, system trails and post-election forensic records—could inadvertently create public confidence in a process whose integrity had not been independently established.

The former NBA national officer therefore urged the ECNBA, where constitutionally permissible, to consider adopting the National Identification Number (NIN) as an additional voter accreditation mechanism alongside existing authentication procedures, describing it as one of several confidence-building measures capable of strengthening trust in the electoral process.

He also called on international and domestic observer organisations to insist on nominating independent ICT and cybersecurity experts who would participate in technical oversight of the electronic voting infrastructure throughout the election.

According to him, election credibility depends not on the prestige of observer organisations but on their ability to independently verify every significant stage of the process.

Beyond concerns about the technology underpinning the election, Chukwuemeka raised what he described as an institutional question regarding the perceived independence of the ECNBA.

He queried why invitations to international and domestic observer organisations were reportedly issued personally by the President of the Nigerian Bar Association instead of the ECNBA, the body constitutionally mandated to organise and supervise the elections.

According to him, although he was not alleging misconduct, institutional independence requires not only actual autonomy but also the public perception that the electoral body operates free from the influence of any office holder with an interest in the process.

He argued that engagements with election observers ought, in principle, to emanate directly from the ECNBA in order to reinforce confidence in the independence of the electoral umpire.

“The NBA, as the foremost professional association of lawyers, should ensure that both the reality and the appearance of an independent electoral process remain beyond question,” he stated.

Chukwuemeka further appealed directly to the invited observer organisations to carefully define the scope of any observation mission before accepting participation.

He maintained that organisations renowned for promoting electoral integrity should avoid any role that could inadvertently be interpreted as endorsing an election whose technological processes they were unable to comprehensively examine.

He referenced Yiaga Africa’s established election observation methodology, noting that credible election observation is built upon independent verification and evidence-based assessment rather than symbolic participation.

According to him, if meaningful technical access is unavailable, observer groups should publicly disclose the limitations of their mission to avoid their participation being construed as validation of the electoral process.

The former NBA Second Vice President also referenced recent controversies surrounding the administration of the NBA elections, including debates over the work of the ECNBA and public reports concerning calls by the Attorney-General of the Federation for a postponement of the elections, arguing that the circumstances require even greater transparency capable of restoring confidence among members of the Bar.

He concluded that the legitimacy of any election is ultimately determined not by the calibre of observers present but by the openness of the process to genuine independent scrutiny.

As Convener of the NBA Democratic Movement, Chukwuemeka said his intervention was intended to strengthen, rather than undermine, confidence in the electoral process by encouraging transparency and institutional integrity.

He ended his statement by posing what he described as “a question that deserves an answer”—why the NBA President reportedly invited election observers instead of the ECNBA—and suggested that members of the Bar reflect on the implications.

Full Statement by Clement Ugo Chukwuemeka, Esq

NBA 2026 ELECTIONS: INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC OBSERVATION MUST NOT BECOME A SEAL OF LEGITIMACY WITHOUT INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION.

IS ECNBA REALLY INDEPENDENT? WHY DID THE PRESIDENT OF NBA ISSUE INVITATION PERSONALLY TO OBSERVERS WHEN THE ECNBA IS THE UMPIRE?

The reported decision of the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to invite international organisations, including the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Yiaga Africa, the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), and other observers to monitor the 2026 NBA National Elections deserves careful reflection by every legal practitioner. While election observation is ordinarily a commendable democratic practice, its value lies not in the mere presence of observers but in the extent to which they are afforded meaningful access to independently verify the integrity of the entire electoral process.

Election observation should never be reduced to witnessing the announcement of results on a computer screen. If observers are denied access to the critical technological infrastructure that records, authenticates, stores, and transmits votes, they are left with little more than the final figures presented to them. Such an exercise may unintentionally create public confidence in a process whose technical integrity they had no practical opportunity to examine.

If the NBA is genuinely committed to conducting an election that is beyond reproach, it should embrace greater transparency rather than symbolic observation. One significant confidence-building measure would be the adoption of the National Identification Number (NIN) as an additional means of voter accreditation, alongside existing authentication mechanisms, if legally and constitutionally permissible. ECNBA, if interested in delivering free, fair and credible elections, is independently empowered to adopt any measure that guarantees free and fair elections, which in turn will strengthen the NBA motto, “Promoting the Rule of Law.”

Equally important, the invited international observer organisations should be permitted to nominate independent ICT and cyber security experts who will participate in the technical oversight of the voting infrastructure, including monitoring the hosting environment, audit logs, system trails, and post-election forensic verification. Independent technical verification would provide observers with a factual basis upon which to assess the credibility of the process rather than relying solely on representations made by those administering the election.

Without such independent access, there remains a legitimate concern that the presence of respected international and local institutions could be interpreted by the public as an endorsement of the entire electoral process, even where those institutions had no opportunity to verify the underlying technology or audit the voting architecture. Election credibility is not determined merely by the absence of visible disruption but by the ability of independent stakeholders to verify every material stage of the process.

Recent developments surrounding the administration of the NBA election, including the controversies that have arisen during the activities of the Electoral Committee and public reports concerning calls for the postponement of the elections by the AGF, underscore the need for heightened transparency capable of restoring confidence among members of the Bar.

I, Clement Ugo Chukwuemeka, Esq, Convener of the NBA Democratic Movement, therefore respectfully urge the invited organisations to carefully define the scope of any observation mission before accepting participation. Their reputations have been built upon promoting electoral integrity through independent verification, transparency and objective assessment. Where meaningful technical access is unavailable, they should clearly state the limitations of their observation and avoid any action that could inadvertently be construed as validating a process they were not positioned to comprehensively verify.

The Nigerian Bar Association ought to set the national standard for transparency, accountability and electoral credibility. Ultimately, the legitimacy of an election is secured not by the prominence of those invited to observe it, but by the openness of the process to genuine and independent scrutiny.

A QUESTION THAT DESERVES AN ANSWER

If the President of the Nigerian Bar Association is truly committed to preserving the independence and autonomy of the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA), why was the invitation to international and domestic observer organisations reportedly issued by the President personally rather than by the ECNBA, the body constitutionally entrusted with the conduct and supervision of the elections?

This is not to suggest any impropriety solely because of who issued the invitation. Rather, it underscores the importance of institutional integrity. The ECNBA must not only be independent; it must also be seen to be independent.

Accordingly, observer organisations should insist upon full and unrestricted access to all aspects of the electoral process necessary for an objective assessment. Anything less risks reducing election observation to a ceremonial exercise rather than the independent scrutiny that gives it credibility.

Did you sense something? Please keep it to yourself for the Peace of the Bar.

Clement Ugo Chukwuemeka, Esq
Former 2nd Vice President, NBA (2022–2024).