Election has come and gone, new leadership sworn in amidst loud silence. The rumblings are still as alive as a volcano and there are fears in some quarters that it will erupt soon, if adequate post election reconciliation and healing processes are not put in place.
According to Dr. Nicolas Ude, Secretary Otu Oka-Iwu Abuja chapter, “There is no sportsmanship in this unless I need to google what new sportsmanship means.
It is a cover up for the incompetence and fraud by the Electoral Committee and the Service Provider albeit with grave silence of those who ought to take a stand or speak out against such disturbing complaints or allegations.
Sweeping such weighty allegations under the carpet without more and on the alter of sportsmanship is a clear definition of gunpowder close to a fire.
Who are the culprits and collaborators to such a sham of an election? Silence, right?
It is better to concede without more than to expose these irregularities and approve them under sportsmanship in the gathering of Lawyers. Just allow us to appeal to God than giving us food for Election Appeal Committee but ask us not to feed them. What do we do with what you had exposed? Smile and walk away or dump them for others to suffer the same fate and believe that is the norm?
Well brother, it is your choice to conceede whether by inducement or promise or by way of personally peacefully moving on with the better things Law Practice can offer. But it should never be an endorsement of illegalities. Good luck with your choices @Chidi Udekwe Esq .
Sorry @Betterpikin this looks more of subjugation than sportsmanship. I had also seen the complaints of @Ikem Bobo Esq detailing the unfortunate issues that bedeviled the Abuja NBA Unity Bar Election under the watch of their current Chairman and exco who are all products of illegalities circulating and perpetuated since 2016.
Thanks to the new branches approved by NBA NEC. Who will identify or care for the sick? Enjoy your branches. Choose wisely. You are in Abuja for a reason.
On his own part, Chidi Udekwe, who was a Chairmanship candidate in the said rigged, fraud infested election has this to say,
“There will be unity in Unity Bar election was a post I made in reaction to qestions as to whether we can survive another electoral crises.
A test for that post was completely failed in the conduct of the just concluded election of the Branch. Observations from Aspirants, their agents and the report of an IT consultant who monitored the election identified the underlisted issues:
1. Agents of aspirants were denied access to the backend of the voting portal.
2. There was flagrant disregard of agreement reached at meetings for explanatory interface between the electoral committee, service provider, aspirants, and their agents before the commencement of the election.
3. Disenfranchisement of some of the aspirants whose email addresses were correct on the voters list but not correct on the voting portal and therefore were unable to receive email to vote, I am one of them.
4. Eligible voters whose names appeared on the voters list were clearly missing on the voting portal.
5. The total number of eligible voters was 341 while the eligible valid voters email was 286. However, the number of voters on the election portal was 340.
6. Some of the aspirants and voters emails were altered and misspelled on the voting porter against the correct email on the voters list.
7. Some wrong email addresses were ignored and not rectified by the service provider.
8. Despite that voters who had their names on the final voters list could not find their names on the voter’s portal yet, the number of voters remained the same.
9. The vote percentages for the offices of the some aspirants for the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer were static for hours before any vote is counted for them
10. Most shockingly, the electoral committee had zero or no idea about the service provider. They were not carried along as the presentation by the service provider to the electoral committee for the election was difference from what was used in conducting the election.
Indeed, the election process was hijacked through altered attendance register and compiled voters list. There was gross manipulation, malpractice and deliberate fraud. The entirety of the election does not represent what election of Lawyers ought to be.”