NBA Election: ‘Nigeria Is Headquarters of Proud Hypocrites’- Lawyer, Ucheoma Nwogu Fires at Osigwe SAN Over SPIDEL After EBF Owerri Speech
A legal practitioner, Ucheoma Chisorom Nwogu, has accused the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe, SAN, of hypocrisy following his recent declaration that “the independence of the Bar is non-negotiable.”
Nwogu was reacting to Osigwe’s remarks at the Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) Quarterly General Meeting held in Owerri, Imo State, where the NBA President stressed the importance of preserving the independence of the legal profession.
In a post on social media, Nwogu argued that Osigwe’s statement was inconsistent with events surrounding the controversial 2025 NBA Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) leadership crisis.
“However, under his watch, the incident contained in the attached pictures happened. Nigeria definitely is the headquarters of the Association of proud hypocrites,” she wrote.
Nwogu attached to her post a news report detailing the controversy that followed the aborted SPIDEL election and the ensuing disagreement between the NBA leadership and other stakeholders.
The SPIDEL controversy arose after the Electoral Committee chaired by Kunle Edun, SAN, conducted the Section’s electoral process during the 2025 Annual Conference. Following the exercise, candidates including Dr. Anne Agi and Barbara Tosan Onwubiko, who had emerged for the offices of Secretary and Treasurer respectively, did not assume office after the process was halted.
Instead, a new leadership subsequently emerged, with Prof. Uju Agomoh becoming Chairman of SPIDEL, alongside other officers appointed following the intervention of the NBA President. The development generated widespread debate within the legal profession, with differing views over the legality and propriety of the intervention.
Dr. Anne Agi, in a public statement issued after the development, faulted the decision to halt the electoral process and maintained that the election had substantially complied with the applicable constitutional provisions. On the other hand, the Osigwe led NBA leadership maintained that the process was fundamentally flawed and inconsistent with the NBA Constitution, insisting that there was no valid election capable of producing officers.
The disagreement sparked extensive reactions across the Bar, with several lawyers questioning the intervention while others supported the NBA’s position on constitutional compliance.
Against that backdrop, Nwogu contended that Osigwe could not credibly champion the independence of the Bar while his administration presided over what she considers interference with SPIDEL’s internal democratic process.
The NBA President has consistently defended the decisions taken by the Association regarding the SPIDEL leadership transition, maintaining that they were necessary to uphold constitutional order and the integrity of the Association’s governance.
