No Going Back: ECNBA Chairman Ejelam SAN Insists July 18 NBA Election Will Proceed, Refuses Yomi Aliyu’s Call to Resign

The Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, Chief Aham Ejelam, SAN, has insisted that the 2026 NBA National Officers’ Election will proceed on Saturday, July 18, as scheduled, declaring that he will not resign from the committee despite what he described as threats, blackmail and political pressure.

Ejelam stated this on Sunday while responding to an open letter dated July 11, 2026, in which Chief Yomi Alliyu, SAN, called for his resignation as ECNBA Chairman.

He maintained that the election remained fixed for July 18 in accordance with the revised timetable published by the committee and would continue unless altered by a competent organ of the NBA or a court of competent jurisdiction.

According to him, the ECNBA derives its authority from the NBA Constitution and decisions of the Association’s recognised organs, adding that the committee was properly constituted and presented to the NBA National Executive Council.

He argued that no individual could unilaterally dissolve the committee, declare its members illegitimate or demand their resignation outside the procedures provided by the NBA Constitution.

“The ECNBA remains bound by the Constitution and will continue to discharge its mandate unless otherwise directed by a competent organ of the Association or a court of competent jurisdiction,” he said.

Ejelam said he accepted the chairmanship of the electoral committee as a difficult professional responsibility at a critical period in the history of the Bar, rather than for personal ambition, political patronage or financial reward.

He declared that he would not abandon the assignment merely because Alliyu opposed his continued leadership of the committee.

“My acceptance of the chairmanship of the ECNBA was not motivated by personal ambition, political patronage or any promise of reward,” he said.

“I will not abandon that responsibility merely because Yomi Alliyu, SAN, is unhappy that I occupy that position.”

The ECNBA chairman accused Alliyu of basing his resignation demand on what he described as fabricated assumptions, unverified allegations and matters awaiting judicial determination.

He said he ordinarily would not have responded but considered it necessary because the open letter questioned the committee’s integrity and could mislead NBA members.

Ejelam also alleged that the letter had been circulated to bloggers with Alliyu’s photographs prominently displayed in an attempt to damage his reputation and that of the electoral committee.

Responding to allegations of corruption, Ejelam said no credible evidence had been presented to support the claims.

He warned that repeated accusations and condemnatory language could not transform speculation into fact, adding that false allegations could attract legal consequences.

“He has alleged that I am corrupt without presenting credible evidence of corruption. The repeated use of condemnatory expressions cannot transform conjecture into fact, nor can the threat of reputational damage substitute for proof,” he said.

Ejelam said his decades of service to the legal profession were open to scrutiny under the NBA Constitution, electoral guidelines and verifiable evidence, rather than political disagreements or personal opinions.

He challenged those alleging wrongdoing to present evidence, insisting that repeatedly stating an allegation did not make it true.

“My conscience is clear. My commitment is to the Nigerian Bar Association and to the credible discharge of the mandate entrusted to the committee,” he stated.

“You cannot, and I will not be intimidated by wild predictions that I will be labelled the most corrupt ECNBA Chairman in the history of the Association. Provide evidence of corruption.”

Ejelam also rejected claims that the Electronic Voting Service Provider was imposed on the ECNBA or selected at the direction of an interested party.

He said the committee considered the information and representations placed before it during the procurement and engagement process.

According to him, the corporate structure of a service provider could not, without further evidence, establish incompetence, illegality or a plan to compromise the election.

He added that an allegation concerning the filing of annual returns with the Corporate Affairs Commission did not automatically establish that the provider lacked the technical capacity to conduct the election or that the ECNBA had acted improperly.

Ejelam urged anyone possessing credible evidence that the service provider manipulated a previous election, unlawfully obtained members’ data or compromised the current process to formally submit it to the committee or the relevant investigative authorities.

“Serious allegations cannot responsibly be sustained through insinuations in an open letter,” he said.

He also complained that the service provider had not been given an opportunity to respond to the accusations allegedly made against it by what he described as a partisan group.

The ECNBA chairman further denied that the committee had authorised anyone to use unlawfully obtained data for the July 18 election.

He said the committee’s responsibility was to prepare the voters’ register from records lawfully available to the NBA and implement safeguards to protect the integrity of the process.

According to him, the publication of preliminary and branch-by-branch voters’ registers, the opportunity provided for members to submit corrections and the sensitisation exercises conducted by the committee demonstrated its commitment to transparency.

He argued that those measures contradicted suggestions that the committee intended to conceal information or manipulate the electoral process.

“It appears there are people who are uncomfortable with the transparency the ECNBA has consistently shown in the processes,” he said.

Addressing Alliyu directly, Ejelam said their shared year of call, professional relationship and personal interactions should have required that any allegations be supported by evidence.

He urged the senior lawyer to exercise the restraint expected of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

Ejelam also said religious faith, knighthood and traditional titles should not be used as instruments of emotional pressure in resolving legal and institutional disagreements.

He described Alliyu as an experienced partisan politician and suggested that this might have influenced his approach to what Ejelam maintained was an internal professional issue rather than a political party dispute.

He insisted that history would be determined by facts, evidence and conduct, not threats or predictions of reputational damage.

Ejelam said the committee remained open to constructive criticism, documented complaints and genuine proposals capable of improving the election.

He, however, vowed not to surrender what he described as a constitutional responsibility because of personal attacks, abusive characterisations or threats.

“The ECNBA will remain focused. It will not be distracted by political pressure from any quarter,” he said.

“It will continue to treat all candidates and stakeholders fairly and will conduct the election in accordance with the governing framework.”

The committee chairman emphasised that every Nigerian lawyer had the right to vote for a preferred candidate and to contest for office where qualified.

He said the ECNBA’s mandate was to ensure that lawyers exercised those rights through a credible electoral process.

Ejelam concluded by expressing hope that the NBA would emerge from the election stronger, more united and more committed to the rule of law.