By Ifeoma Geraldine Ihesie Esq.

There is no single group of lawyers called NBA lawyers in Nigeria.

What is operational is Members of Nigerian Bar Association for point of correction.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is a non-profit, umbrella professional association of all lawyers admitted to the bar in Nigeria. It is engaged in the promotion and protection of human rights, the rule of law and good governance in Nigeria.

The assertion of President Nigerian Bar Association Yakubu Maikyau SAN that NBA lawyers would defend Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in all the matters Instituted against it in various courts in Nigeria is misleading and operates to portray NBA as lopsided in the said election matters. Any lawyer on his own can volunteer to take any matter pro-bono but it is wrong to drag the name of the whole association as noble as NBA to it.

Independent National Electoral Commission is an independent body just like the name signifies, it is not affiliated with Nigerian Bar Association, announcing that NBA lawyers would defend its matters free of charge is indictment on all other members of the association including myself hence this rejoinder.

Let me make this point clearer. Membership of Nigerian Bar Association  is comprises of the Chief Justice of federation, Supreme Court Justices, Court of Appeal Justices, Chief Judges of all the State high Court and federal high Court, Judges of  the high Court, federal high Court, Customary court and National Industrial Court, President of Court of Appeal, National Industrial Court, federal high Court and Customary Court etc.

When someone claims that lawyers of this noble association have volunteered to represent INEC free of charge, you are definitely stating that all the above enumerated personalities have already taken side with INEC thereby making nonsensical of the association.

The lawyers and Senior Advocates of Nigeria who took up briefs from the Labour Party and People’s Democratic party Presidential candidates, they did not do so as NBA lawyers, why would NBA President make it look like INEC is a member of NBA or affiliated with NBA.

If INEC had conducted the 2023 election in accordance with the Electoral Act, it would not have attracted the number of cases pending against it in all the various courts of the Federation as opined.

I have no problem with any lawyer defending INEC free of charge or pro-bono but please, let that lawyer leave NBA as a independent body alone to avoid dragging it to disrepute,the whole world is watching.

I rest my case.

Ihesie Ifeoma Geraldine Esq.