Chinonye Onwere Esq., the leading candidate in the forthcoming NBA Aba Branch Election, has reacted to his disqualification by NBA BRANCH ELECTIONS APPEAL COMMITTEE (EAST)
According to Onwere Esq., there was no petition against his candidature before NBA Aba Electoral Committee to the best of his knowledge.
That neither the Chairman nor Secretary of NBA BRANCH ELECTIONS APPEAL COMMITTEE (EAST) served him any petition to respond to before arriving at their decision.
In a letter to the Chairman NBA BRANCH ELECTIONS APPEAL COMMITTEE (EAST), he states;
“Sir, this demand is predicated on lack of fair hearing.
I was taken aback when during our branch general meeting today, our Chairman I. O. Egwu Esq. informed the members of our branch including my humble self about my disqualification to contest for the Post of Chairman of our branch on the upcoming Election scheduled to hold the 24 day June, 2024.
I was not aware of any petition against me pending before your committee, let alone given the opportunity to defend same; and hence this demand,
I was cleared to contest for the said position on the 7th May, 2024 by our branch Electoral Committee and I was not confronted with any petition by the committee at that stage against candidature.
It is surprising that the said petitioner will avoid the Branch Electoral committee and secretly forwarded a frivolous, vexatious and an untruthful petition against my candidature to your committee upon which I was disqualified from participating in our said branch election without giving me a fair hearing.
Therefore, it is my humble request that the said disqualification be rescinded before noon tomorrow being 19th day of June, 2024 on ground of LACK OF FAIR HEARING.
Thanks, in anticipation of your prompt and favourable response to this innocuous demand.
Yours faithfully,
Victor C. Onwere, Esq.
DECISION OF NBA BRANCH ELECTIONS APPEAL COMMITTEE (EAST).
5) Appeal against the clearance of Victor Chinonye Onwere, Esq. to contest the office of Chairman.
This case is tricky as the appellant by a letter dated 24 /05/24 purports to withdraw the appeal citing his “deference” to representations made to him by senior members of the branch. The “appeal” raises some grave issues that cannot be glossed over, particularly for the very important office of a Branch Chairman.
The substance of the Appeal is that Chinonye Onwere, Esq “is not qualified to stand election as one of his Nominator, E. E. Agwulonu, Esq. who has held two elective offices within the last five 5 years is not qualified to stand election for the same office and as such not eligible to nominate any body for any elective office of the branch”. “furthermore, the said Victor Chinonye Onwere, Esq. is equally not qualified to contest the said election having held two elective positions which he is still holding one presently. He was elected the Vice Chairman of NBA Aba branch in 2020 to 2022 and was equally elected as a member of the General Council of the Bar which election took place in July 2022 and which office he is still occupying till date to expire in July 2024.
DECISIONS:
These allegations, appraised against the backdrop of Article 14(1) (A) and the provisions of the Third Schedule, Part 1 of NBA Uniform Bye- Laws of Branches, Article 6 (3), present very triable issues. Article 14(1)(a) of the Uniform Bye-Law for Branches as contained in the Constitution of NBA 2015 as amended in 2021 provides as follows :
” To be eligible to stand for election into an office a member shall :
(a) Be validly nominated in writing by two members who are eligible to vote herein and who must themselves be qualified for the particular office as provided for in these Bylaws”.
This in effect demands that a candidate must be as qualified as his Nominators.
The provision of Article 6(3) is quite explicit as it provides as a disqualifying factor thus :
” No member of a branch shall occupy the same office for more than two (2) years and any member who has held elective offices as a branch officer for two (2) terms shall not be eligible to contest for a branch office until at least five (5) years after his /her tenure of office “.
The Committee considered the backdrop of this ” appeal ” and even though the “appellant” has sheated his sword to allow peace to reign in the Branch and has purported to have withdrawn his appeal, our Committee cannot give our blessing to the qualification of a member that is not qualified especially where the said disqualification stems from violation of Uniform Bye-Law for Branches as contained in the Constitution of NBA 2015 as amended in 2021.
We therefore hereby direct the Election Committee to remove the name of the said Victor Chinonye Onwere, Esq. in the list of aspirants for the forthcoming election of the Branch and for the position of Chairman of the Branch.
