By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe is blowing hot and has dismissed as unconstitutional an alleged directive attributed to the Attorney General of the Federation seeking to halt the association’s 2026 national officers’ election, insisting that only the NBA’s National Executive Council (NEC) has the authority to postpone the exercise.
In a statement released on his X handleTuesday, Osigwe said the NBA had become aware of a purported report of a sub-committee and comments allegedly made by the Attorney General directing the disbandment of the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA), postponement of the election, appointment of a new service provider, establishment of a caretaker committee, incorporation of National Identification Number (NIN) into the voting process, and a review of the NBA Constitution to abolish universal suffrage.
The NBA President described the alleged directives as unconstitutional, ultra vires the powers of the Attorney General, and an attempt to bring the legal body under government control.
He stressed that the NBA is an independent professional association that is not subject to the control or directives of the Attorney General or any arm of government, noting that the provisions of the Legal Practitioners Act clearly define the limited circumstances under which an external body may interfere in the affairs of the association.
Osigwe argued that the Attorney General could not lawfully grant reliefs similar to those being sought in ongoing lawsuits filed by members of Egbe Amofin before the High Court of Oyo State, adding that the Attorney General participated in the matter only as a party and mediator.
According to him, a mediator lacks the authority to issue binding directives to parties in a dispute.
The NBA President further faulted the sub-committee report, alleging that it exceeded its mandate by making findings against him without giving him an opportunity to respond to allegations raised by some election contestants.
He maintained that the committee was only established to facilitate the withdrawal of court cases challenging the NBA electoral process and was never authorised to investigate or indict the association’s leadership.
Osigwe also questioned the neutrality of the committee, arguing that its chairman, Wole Olanipekun, could not be impartial because of his involvement in matters relating to the pending litigation.
He described the report as biased and procedurally flawed.
Reaffirming the association’s position, the NBA said the 2026 national officers’ election would proceed as scheduled by the ECNBA, insisting that no directive capable of truncating the democratic succession process had been validly issued.
The association also dismissed claims that its election service provider should be replaced because he operates as a sole proprietor, describing such a position as discriminatory since many legal practitioners, including members of the legal profession, run sole proprietorship law firms.
On the proposal to incorporate NIN verification into the election, the NBA said it had already assessed the risks and concluded that making such changes at this stage could disrupt the electoral process, particularly due to concerns about the capacity of the National Identity Management Commission’s authentication platform to handle high traffic during voting.
The association added that the purported report was suspect because it was not issued on the official letterhead of the Attorney General’s office and that it had not received any formal communication from the office.
Osigwe reiterated that the NBA remains committed to due process and constitutional governance, maintaining that only its constitutionally recognised decision-making organs, particularly the National Executive Council, can decide whether to postpone the 2026 national officers’ election.
