Dele Adesina

Dele Adesina Support Group has expressed its displeasure over the process and conduct of the NBA Election 2020. The  ongoing Election  which  generated  a  lot  of  interest,  within  and  without Nigeria  has, according to the group,  “brought  another  bad  testament  to  the  legal  profession  in  our  dear country.”

The group wrote: “We have every cause to query the data  uploaded  on  the  voting  platform  as  same  appear  to  have  imprint  of  a manipulated poll. Several members of some Branches where our candidate enjoys huge  support  including,  Ikeja  Branch,  Ibadan  Branch,  Enugu  Branch,  Ilorin Branch did not receive voting links for election.It is on record that none of the aspirants was given an opportunity to interrogate the voting portal prior to the election.

Surprisingly, the final voters list which was released about five hours to the commencement of the poll contrary to the provision of the NBA Constitution (2015) as amended, which provided that  same shall be released not later than 28 days before the election, contained the names of at least 86 persons alleged to be members of International Diaspora. We wonder when the  NBA  established  an  International  Diaspora  Branch!  There were  also  over 4000  names  without  Branch.  Several  Branches  had  names  of  their  members uncaptured while several strange names were wrongly added to the list of some other Branches.”

Below is the group’s full statement:

STATEMENT BY DELE ADESINA SAN SUPPORT GROUP ON THE CONDUCT OF THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION ELECTION, 2020

On behalf of the Dele Adesina Support Group, we write to express our displeasure over the process and conduct of the NBA Election 2020.

The ongoing Election which generated a lot of interest, within and without Nigeria has brought another bad testament to the legal profession in our dear country. In the build up to the election, the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) and the leadership of the bar had promised a free, fair, and credible election that will change the narrative of our recent electoral experience. Our campaign organization in keeping with the hallowed tradition of the Bar which encourages obeisance to rules and regulations decided to play by the rules and formally complained to the ECNBA when infractions to the Constitution of the NBA were noticed.

Our ICT Consultants have further informed us that though the voting site ostensibly appears credible on the surface, it is apparent that the data uploaded to the site was programmed and preconfigured to achieve a desired result in an obvious case of data diddling. Consequently, we have every cause to query the data uploaded on the voting platform as same appear to have imprint of a manipulated poll. Several members of some Branches where our candidate enjoys huge support including, Ikeja Branch, Ibadan Branch, Enugu Branch, Ilorin Branch did not receive voting links for election.

It is on record that none of the aspirants was given an opportunity to interrogate the voting portal prior to the election. Surprisingly, the final voters list which was released about 5 hours to the commencement of the poll contrary to the provision of the NBA Constitution (2015) as amended, which provided that same shall be released not later than 28days before the election, contained the names of at least 86 persons alleged to be members of International Diaspora. We wonder when the NBA established an International Diaspora Branch! There were also over 4000 names without Branch. Several Branches had names of their members uncaptured while several strange names were wrongly added to the list of some other Branches.

Highlight of some of the noticeable infractions on the final voters list are:

1. Failure to release the final voters list within constitutionally prescribed period.

2. Over 4000 names were without Branches as required by the NBA Constitution.

3. 86 lawyers were described as belonging to International Diaspora contrary to the provision of the NBA Constitution.

4. Padding of Voters’ list of some Branches, and reduction in the number of published voters’ list of others. An example is Obollo-Afor Branch which has over 661 names on the voters list when the actual voters list is less than 60.

5. Several branches had names of hitherto eligible voters removed from the final list.

6. Several members had their names listed in Branches other than theirs.

7. Many members have reported that they received notification of confirmation of voting when they neither received voting links nor voted.

From the foregoing, there is no doubt that the ongoing NBA Election lacks all features of credibility and transparency. We are therefore by this notice demanding immediate suspension of the ongoing election process to a later date when a clean list must have been prepared and published. The ongoing process is discredited and does not represent the dignity of our most honourable profession.

Signed:

For: Dele Adesina Support Group

Adesina Adegbite FICMC

National Coordinator