In deed, he who wears the shoe, knows where it pinches. He ran an elaborate campaign, with YC Maikyau’s Friends, hosting lavish parties in almost all the branches.
I attended some and can testify that, most of the coordinators of these YC Maikyau Friend’s groups, couldn’t have self-funded the parties.
JK Gadzama SAN and Jonathan Taidi did have their friends hosting on their behalf and spent good money through proxies.
Last time NBA President lamented about cost of NBA electioneering process, was in 2016 by Augustine Alegeh SAN. He acted and the Constitution was amended, birthing universal suffrage burying the delegate conference as means of electing NBA Officers.
Unfortunately, electronic universal suffrage, has become more expensive than the buried delegate voting.
Laudable as YC’s lamentation is, I have my fears, if the cost will be significantly reduced.
The E. Y. Kura SAN Electoral Reform Committee, should work from the known to the unknown.
We need to know how much Olumide Akpata spent giving out COVID-19 palliatives in the course of campaign, what was used for entertainment and other logistics, so that we can compare it to what YC spent ahead of June 16 NBA Election.
If these data are not available, we will never truly know, how expensive NBA Electioneering process is. We must be able to compare and see, if it has gone up, so that those interested in 2024, can either shape up or sink their ambition.
My other fear is, YC’s virgin exco, has experienced officers, who spent good money in hosting hangouts, assisting colleagues pay BPF plus local dues and other sundry needs.
One bragged that he spent over 7 Million Naira to emerge victorious in the just concluded election.
I know one who cried bitterly after our colleagues drank him under the table. Only 4 colleagues drank and consumed N120,000, when they were hosted as Bar leaders.
I can mention more. The financial demands were heavy on one that she cried on my shoulders and couldn’t wait for the election to be done with. These exco members should be made to share their experience with the E. Y. Kura SAN’s chaired Electoral committee, YC set up.
When I repeatedly said that if elected, I would work for a truly digitalized NBA that will reduce the cost of campaigns, I was called by a concerned candidate now an exco member, that branches are complaining that if I continue on this path, they would not vote for me.
Well, ECNBA stole my nominator’s receipt, so I didn’t get to test if I would’ve lost based on insisting that hangouts etc be stopped. In fact a now member of the exco took to tweeter to say that hangouts are necessary, as it makes the electorates to see the candidate as being accessible.
I hope now that he has won, he will still do periodic hangout to explain his administration’s policies?
We must find a digitalized way of conducting NBA affairs, Election inclusive. Candidates should be voted for, based on the content of their brains, workable solutions and not by how many bottles of beer and plates of pepper soup he bought for us at his hangouts.
