May 28th The Electoral Committee of NBA(ECNBA)sent me a letter via email dated 20th May, disqualifying me for the Post of Assistant General Secretary on the premise that my nominator for the office of Publicity Secretary, did not attach receipt of his NBA Bwari Local Dues of 2021
May 29 I Appealed this and sent my Appeal to the NBA National Offices Appeal Committee. The Appeal was received, ECNBA communicated.
June 9th in Ilorin during NEC Meeting, Olumide Akpata, Esq, NBA President told NEC that my Appeal had been determined and I had been irrevocably disqualified.
June 11 midnight, Appeal Committee sent me a letter via email, dated June 11th stating that they affirmed the decision of the ECNB disqualifying me from contesting the office of Assistant General Secretary, because my nominator, did not attach his receipt.
In this letter, it was stated that the Appeal was heard on the 5th of June. Clear 4 days before NEC meeting in Ilorin where Olumide Akpata let the cat out of the bag and when countered by Monday Ubani, he claimed that the Electoral Committee and Appeal Committee were independent and he has no influence over them or does he know the workings of the Committee.
The Appeal Committee in their reasoning said, “The Petitioner’s attempt to make a heavy weather out of a correspondence exchanged between him and the ECNBA, wherein he was mistakenly referred to as a contestant for the office of Assistant Publicity Secretary instead of the position of Publicity Secretary he applied for, was a non issue, as in our view, this was a minor error, which did not affect the decision of the ECNBA to disqualify him.”
The Appeal Committee’s decision is, “It is the decision of the Committee that participation in NBA’s Elections, whether as a Candidate or Nominator, is a privilege conferred by the NBA Constitution, which is contingent on the payment of annual and branch dues as the case may be. See Section 4(c) of the Constitution of the NBA. Since there was no evidence before this Committee by the Petitioner of attachment of payment receipt by Mr. Mohammed Iyorember Tsav of the 2021 Branch Dues, to the Appellant’s nomination form, which is a prerequisite for a valid nomination, the decision of the ECNBA to disqualify him was in order and validly made.
Therefore, this Appeal lacks merit and ought to be dismissed and it.”
I find this highly interesting and I am in consultation with my team and before the next working day, Tuesday within hours acceptable by FCT Hight Court to accept fresh processes, I will make a statement.
