‘I Cannot Be Neutral’ Declaration: Akinboro SAN, Akangbe SAN, Demands Afam Osigwe’s Immediate Resignation as NBA President
The leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has come under renewed scrutiny following a formal letter by two presidential aspirants, Aare Muyiwa Akinboro, SAN, and Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN, accusing the NBA President, Afam Osigwe, of openly admitting bias ahead of the Association’s forthcoming elections.
In the letter addressed to the Chairman of the NBA Board of Trustees, the two Senior Advocates of Nigeria stated that at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Maiduguri on February 5, 2026, the President declared on the floor of the meeting that he “cannot be neutral” because he has a voting right.
According to the aspirants, the statement was made in response to concerns raised about the open distribution of campaign materials during the NEC meeting. They alleged that the President not only admitted he could not be neutral but defended his position and sought to justify it by drawing an analogy to Nigerian President Tinubu’s Appointment of INEC Chairman.
The letter describes the remark as a grave admission that has created what the signatories call “a crisis of confidence” in the leadership of the Association and in the integrity of the forthcoming elections.
They insist that while the President has a constitutional right to vote, the office he occupies demands institutional neutrality, particularly during an election season. The matter has now been formally placed before the Board of Trustees for urgent intervention.
In the letter, they formally requested the immediate resignation of Afam Osigwe, SAN, as President of the NBA. They also called for the urgent reconstitution of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) and the establishment of an independent election oversight mechanism composed of respected past Presidents and elders of the Bar to guarantee transparency and fairness in the forthcoming elections.
