Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe (SAN), has issued a stern warning to lawyers against allowing political interests to infiltrate the association's affairs, insisting that the legal profession must set a higher standard for democratic conduct and not reduce itself to the level of Nigeria's often dysfunctional political class. Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television's Politics Today on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, Osigwe cautioned that the NBA's forthcoming national officers' election would be a defining moment for the integrity of the Bar and must reflect the highest standards of fairness and professionalism.
"We'll be a mockery of the society if we allow ourselves to be used or if we unwittingly portray ourselves as being no better than the political parties or the politicians," Osigwe declared. "We are members of a noble profession, and our election should be exemplary." The NBA president's remarks come just days before the association's presidential election, scheduled for Saturday, 18 July 2026, a contest that has been overshadowed by legal challenges, allegations of judicial interference, and a controversial directive purportedly issued by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation seeking to postpone the poll and disband the Electoral Committee.
Osigwe expressed particular concern over the growing trend of lawyers resorting to the courts and political manipulation to settle internal disputes within the Bar. "Courts should not be used to truncate our democracy. Neither should politicians be used to truncate our democracy," he said. He lamented that some lawyers had made serious allegations of electoral malpractice without substantiating their claims, thereby undermining public confidence in the electoral process. "Our voting process, electoral process, should be such that people would want to emulate. But unfortunately, we have many lawyers maligning the electoral committee even in the absence of any credible proof of any wrongdoing," he stated.
The NBA president also addressed the controversy surrounding a document circulating on social media, purportedly signed by the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), which directed the disbandment of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), the postponement of the election, and the appointment of a caretaker committee to conduct fresh polls. The NBA has rejected the alleged directives, describing them as unconstitutional and an attempt to bring the association under government control. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the association insisted that only its National Executive Council (NEC) has the constitutional authority to direct the postponement of the election.
Osigwe questioned the authenticity of the document, noting that it did not bear the Attorney General's official letterhead and that the NBA had not received any formal communication from the AGF's office. "I cannot for certain say that the Attorney General of the Federation gave that advice. Frankly, I would be shocked if he did," he said. He added that some technology experts had suggested the document could even have been generated using artificial intelligence. Even if the directive had originated from the Attorney General, Osigwe maintained that the office had no constitutional authority to interfere with the NBA's electoral process. "We are not a department under the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation. If there are issues regarding our elections, they must be resolved strictly in accordance with the provisions of the NBA Constitution," he stated.
The controversy over the election stems from lawsuits filed by members of Egbe Amofin O'odua before the Oyo State High Court, challenging the association's zoning arrangement. According to Osigwe, the group argued that since the NBA presidency was zoned to the Western region, which includes Edo and Delta states, only its preferred candidate should be accepted by the Electoral Committee. He described the legal actions as an attack on democratic principles. "It is completely undemocratic to insist that only one person should run, more so when it is obvious that multiple individuals are qualified and interested in running," he said.
Osigwe further alleged that before the lawsuits were filed, a former Attorney General of Oyo State had warned him that unless he allowed the emergence of a preferred candidate, the NBA would be plunged into a crisis that would prevent the election from holding. He said the subsequent court injunctions appeared to be an execution of that threat. He also disclosed that the Attorney General of the Federation had convened a stakeholders' meeting on 11 June 2026, where participants agreed that the suits lacked legal merit and should be withdrawn. However, a sub-committee established to facilitate the withdrawal of the cases exceeded its mandate by making far-reaching recommendations against the NBA president, including the disbandment of the ECNBA and the postponement of the election.
Addressing concerns over the integrity of the NBA's electronic voting system, Osigwe said every eligible lawyer is linked to a unique telephone number and email address tied to their Supreme Court enrolment record, with voting secured through one-time passwords sent only to the registered contacts. He added that, following amendments to the NBA Constitution, the Electoral Committee is required to release the verified list of accredited voters to all candidates within six hours after voting closes to enable independent verification. He dismissed previous allegations of identity theft during NBA elections as unsubstantiated, challenging those who made the claims to produce evidence. "We challenged him to produce one single name, and none has been produced. So, people create a story to try to delegitimise the process," he said.
Osigwe reiterated his confidence that the election would proceed as scheduled on 18 July, barring any "completely unforeseen legal catastrophes." The NBA president's warning against politicising the Bar comes at a critical moment, as the association seeks to assert its independence amid mounting pressure from both political actors and internal factions. His message, delivered with characteristic bluntness, was clear: the legal profession must not allow itself to be dragged into the same mire of manipulation, patronage, and impunity that has come to define Nigeria's political landscape. "We are members of a noble profession, and our election should be exemplary," he said.
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