Procure kangaroo order to restrain disqualification of candidates
“I will abide by the court order, because the branch can establish guidelines for its election.”—Electoral Committee Chairman.
In what seems like an attempt to bury the Nigerian Bar Association, Uyo branch, the Chairman, Ememobong Nicholas has perfected plans to foist unqualified candidates as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the branch in the forth coming branch election.
The ploy by Nicholas popularly called Aguda, started with the reappointment of a former branch Chairman, Ekanem J. Ekanem as Chairman of the, xtime, in-spite of protest from members who believed Ekanem’s antecedent has shown that he is less than transparent and will always kotow to the whims and caprices of the branch Chairman.
True to speculations, the Ekanem led election committee, published an electoral guideline that was a complete departure from the uniform bye law for the branches of the NBA and when confronted, claimed that the electoral committee enjoy powers to establish guidelines for the conduct of branch elections.
Despite protests by majority of members of the branch and in furtherance of their plot to foist their preferred candidates on the lawyers body, the Ekanem led electoral committee, cleared all aspirants who bought forms, including the Chairman’s anointed, Uwem Uko Umoh Esq for the office of Chairman of NBA, Uyo Branch, a lawyer who was called to the Bar on the 28th of November, 2013 and therefore is not eligible to stand for election to the office of Chairman of the (Uyo) Branch under the Uniform bye-laws for Branches because he is not up to ten (10) years post-call as at the time of the close of nomination for the election.
Despite the several petitions written to the branch electoral committee for the disqualification of Uwem Uko Umoh Esq and other aspirants who did not meet the legal requirements as prescribed by law in paragraphs 14(1)(a) of NBA Uniform Bye-Laws which provides that for a person to qualify to stand election to the office of Chairman, the person should be at least ten (10) years post call and (2) which states that in reckoning the post – call years, a person shall be regarded as having attained a post call year on each succeeding anniversary of his/her call to bar and not sooner.
In a blatant breach of paragraph 15(3) of the said law, which f provides that o provision of the Bye-Laws relating to qualification to vote or be voted for shall be waived by any person, the Branch, its organ, or committee set up by the Branch, the Ekanem led electoral body has refused to respect the law and embarked on is orchestrated mission to destroy the branch.
In their quest to enthrone Uwem Uko Umoh Esq., Chairman of NBA, Uyo Branch, Aguda has been dropping the name of the Governor Elect of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno as the person who has directed him to ensure that their preferred candidate becomes the Chairman of the Branch, this according to an impecable source is responsible for why some elders of the branch, including a past national officer have joined the bandwagon.
At the last general meeting of the Branch on Friday, Aguda and Ekanem brandished copies of exparte order restraining the electoral committee from disqualifying any of the unqualified candidates from participating in the election.
According to Ekanem, while giving his committee report on the floor, he will obey the order and stressed that the Branch, like any other branch of the NBA is independent of the National NBA and can make laws to regulate it’s election.
According to a member of Elders Forum of the Branch, who pleaded anonymity, he is not shocked by how low Ekanem can go to perpetrate such evil plot and rape on the rule of law.
He stated that the said Ekanem was an active member and participated fully in the discussions and decisions of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Appeals Committee (East) on the petition by Onyemachi Chukwu of the NBA Aba Branch that disqualified K. E. Nwangwa, who was called to Bar in October 2015, and was therefore not eligible to stand for election to the office of the Financial Secretary of the (Aba) Branch under the Uniform bye-laws for branches in that he was not up to seven (7) years post-call as at the time of the close of nomination for the election.
The decision of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Appeals Committee (East) on the petition by Onyemachi Chukwu of the NBA Aba Branch filed on 20th May 2022 was circulated at the last Bar meeting of the Branch.
Another member of the Uyo Branch, wonders why the President of NBA, Y. C. Maikyau has maintained deafening silence in the face of this travesty of justice, praying that the national body should not be compromised, but should intervene in this impasse that may balkanize the branch like the unity branch by dissolving the obviously tainted Ekanem Jackson Ekanem’s committee and conduct a credible election.
