NBA ELECTION: AGF lacks power to postpone polls, disband electoral committee – Osigwe
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, has declared that the association’s upcoming national officer elections will proceed as scheduled, insisting that only the NBA National Executive Council (NEC) possesses the constitutional power to alter the timeline.
Reacting to a purported report by a sub-committee which allegedly ordered the postponement of the 2026 polls and the disbandment of the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA), Osigwe described the move as an “unconstitutional” attempt to bring the independent bar association under the control of the executive arm of government.
READ ALSO: Flaunting the Law: Jaiz Bank risks public trust, undermines judiciary in landmark case
The controversy stems from a document linked to a mediation meeting convened by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) on June 11, 2026, aimed at resolving internal disputes, including lawsuits filed by the Egbe Amofin faction.
’AGF lacks power to direct NBA’
In a statement on his Facebook page, the NBA president maintained that the association is an independent body and is not subject to directives from the office of the AGF or any other government arm.
”The Nigerian Bar Association believes that the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation could not issue the said directive as it is entirely unconstitutional, ultra vires the powers of the Honourable Attorney General… and an attempt to bring the Nigerian Bar Association under the control of the office of the Honourable Attorney General,” Osigwe stated.
He argued that under Section 10(2) of the Legal Practitioners Act, outside interference is strictly limited to specific conditions, none of which have occurred.
Flawed process and allegations of bias
According to the statement, the sub-committee set up during the June 11 meeting was only mandated to liaise with contending parties to oversee the withdrawal of lawsuits, not to launch an inquest into the NBA leadership.
Osigwe further raised concerns over a conflict of interest, pointing out that Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN—who is a key proponent of the plaintiffs’ case—chaired the sub-committee.
”There is no way the Nigerian Bar Association would have agreed that a person who is biased over one of the parties should head any committee considering his partisan role in the entire matter,” the NBA President stated, declaring the report unacceptable.
He added that findings were made against his office based on candidate memos without granting him a fair hearing.
He clarified that the NBA national officers’ electoral process will continue exactly as scheduled by the ECNBA, and that the NBA rejected a proposal to mandate National Identification Numbers (NIN) for voter data, explaining that risk assessments show altering the current platform configuration could crash the system due to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) authentication surges.
Afam defended NBA’s current election service provider against claims that it should be terminated for being a sole proprietorship, noting that most top legal practices in Nigeria successfully operate under the same structure.
He noted that the circulating report is not on the official letterhead of the AGF, and the association has received no official communication from the Chief Law Officer.
Osigwe concluded by restating the bar’s unalloyed commitment to the due process of law and its own internal constitutional mechanisms, urging members to disregard the purported directives.
