NBA CRISIS: How NBA President Annulled SPIDEL Election, Imposed New Leadership – Akinboro, Akangbe Writes NBA Board
The leadership crisis rocking the Nigerian Bar Association has taken a dramatic turn as two presidential aspirants have accused the NBA President, Afam Osigwe, of truncating the electoral process of NBA-SPIDEL.
In a petition addressed to the NBA Board of Trustees, Aare Muyiwa Akinboro, SAN, and Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN, alleged that the SPIDEL elections, which had reportedly reached an advanced stage with some candidates emerging unopposed, were abruptly halted by the President and replaced with a caretaker committee imposed to run the affairs of the Section.
The aspirants contend that the decision to truncate the SPIDEL electoral process lacked transparent due process and amounted to unilateral interference with an internal democratic exercise. They argue that the action significantly weakened confidence in the NBA’s democratic structures and set a troubling precedent ahead of the national elections.
They further accused the NBA President of campaigning for their fellow presidential aspirant, Oyinkasola Badejo-Okusanya. They claim that his open support and canvassing for Badejo-Okusanya, combined with his institutional authority, created the perception that internal processes were being manipulated in favour of a preferred candidate.
According to the aspirants, the combination of truncating SPIDEL’s elections and openly promoting Badejo-Okusanya reinforces what they describe as a broader pattern of partisan conduct incompatible with the neutrality required of the office of the NBA President.
As part of their prayers to the Board of Trustees, Akinboro and Akangbe called for the immediate resignation of Afam Osigwe, SAN. They also demanded the reconstitution of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) with clear safeguards for independence and neutrality, as well as the establishment of an independent election oversight mechanism comprising respected past Presidents and elders of the Bar to guarantee that the forthcoming NBA elections are credible, transparent, and fair.
