Di President of Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, don say di July 18 national election of NBA go get full monitoring from Department of State Service and foreign observers. According to am, dis move na to make sure di integrity of di poll dey protected.
Osigwe tok say dem dey bring security operatives and foreign observers as independent people wey go give objective report and information after di election finish. He also dismiss fear of rigging wey some members of di association dey express, and assure say di process and di election itself go be free and fair.
Di NBA president explain say contrary to allegations of candidate imposition against am, he no get special interest for any of di three candidates wey dey contest to succeed am. Di candidates na Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, Lateef Omoyele, SAN, and di only female, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, all from South-West geopolitical zone.
Osigwe vow say he no go allow imposition of any particular candidate or succumb to blackmail or reputation-damaging during di election. He note say a particular group wey dem dey call Egbe Amofin don dey make frantic efforts to impose a particular candidate on NBA contrary to di association constitution.
He say NBA as a body no go object if one or two of di candidates step down for one another on their own volition, but dem no go succumb to blocking di aspiration of any individual to favour any candidate as di Egbe Amofin group of South West dey canvass.
Contrary to insinuation, Osigwe say he absolutely commit to free and fair election of NBA wey go produce president wey go command respect from lawyers and all Nigerians. He dismiss di accusation say he dey interfere with di election process, noting say Electoral Committee of NBA, ECNBA, na independent committee wey no take instructions from am or anybody, in line with NBA constitution.
To allay fear of possible rigging, Osigwe say he don opt not to vote for any of di candidates. He insist say anybody wey win di election deserve winning, and appeal to those opposing di election to stop playing politics, adding say nobody go condone rigging.
“In this election, I would want them to hold me responsible and accountable. We will ensure that this election is most credible in the history of the NBA. I urge those criticising the process to let democracy thrive. It is absurd to accuse me of imposing a candidate when the Egbe Amofin is openly imposing a particular candidate. It is not logical,” Osigwe tok.
“I will not vote in that election if that would give them comfort. I have never asked or forced anybody to vote for any particular candidate because all I want is a seamless transition. All the allegations of rigging are aimed at damaging the NBA’s reputation, diminishing the NBA, and there should be no room for emotion, blackmail, wild allegations or rumour because all we want is a President that would command respect of Nigerians,” di president add.
He confirm say dem arrest a service provider wey dem engage for di election but disclose say di person in charge don release, though some of im laptops dem seize.
Osigwe comments come amid concerns raised by a forum of Yoruba lawyers, under di aegis of Egbe Amofin Oodua, wey call for di postponement of di forthcoming presidential election, citing concerns over di transparency and credibility of di electoral process. Di group say delaying di election go allow di implementation of agreed electoral reforms wey go fit guarantee free, fair and credible poll.
Speaking with journalists for Ibadan, di Chairman of di Governing Council of Egbe Amofin Oodua, Isiaka Olagunju, SAN, accuse di leadership of NBA of reneging on agreements earlier reach with stakeholders on reforms wey aim to improve di integrity of di election. Olagunju, wey be former General Secretary of NBA and immediate past Chairman of Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, OYSIEC, allege say di NBA leadership ignore agreement wey dem reach at meeting involving presidential candidates and key stakeholders to postpone Saturday election and introduce reforms, including di use of members National Identification Number, NIN, linked phone numbers for voting instead of email authentication.
