Judge backs NIN verification for NBA elections, seeks electoral reforms

n n

A retired judge of the Federal High Court and former Second Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, has endorsed the use of the National Identification Number to verify lawyers eligible to vote in NBA elections, saying the measure would enhance transparency and restore confidence in the association’s electoral process.

n

Justice Taiwo stated this in a statement titled “Let the Truth Be Told! My Take on the Election Crisis That Is Ongoing in the NBA”, where he said he had foreseen the current electoral controversy and publicly warned about it during his valedictory court session in 2022.

n

The jurist, who retired from the Federal High Court on July 31, 2022, said he was “shocked but honestly not surprised” by the crisis surrounding the NBA elections.

n

“I am disturbed, to say the least, about the discordant tunes concerning the elections to offices in the NBA,” he said.

n

According to Taiwo, concerns over the credibility of the NBA’s electoral process have persisted for years, with several aggrieved members challenging election outcomes in court.

n

“Many outside the inner circle of the ‘powers’ behind the scenes cannot know what goes on. Persons have gone to court on NBA election outcomes in the past. Those who did know why they did,” he stated.

n

To reinforce his position, Justice Taiwo reproduced excerpts from the valedictory speech he delivered in September 2022, in which he called for comprehensive reforms to the association’s electoral system.

n

He argued that the emergence of an NBA president should never appear predetermined before the incumbent completes his tenure.

n

“I belong to the NBA by reason of my profession. I want the best for the association, especially for it to evolve in a democratic and transparent way in the election of its officers.

n

“I am of the firm view that the election of the President of the NBA ought to transcend a situation where the next President is known before a new one is sworn in,” the jurist explained.

n

Taiwo disclosed that while he was still on the Bench, he was informed that a particular individual would become the next NBA president before the tenure of the then-president, Olumide Akpata, had ended.

n

“I asked myself how it was possible, knowing fully well that stargazing or clairvoyance are not courses in law,” he recalled.

n

As part of his recommendations, the retired judge proposed that lawyers should vote electronically from their respective NBA branches on election day, saying such a system would improve transparency while retaining the advantages of electronic voting.

n

“I want to propose that on election day, all those interested in voting will go to their various branches physically to vote electronically, as is being done by INEC. This will ensure transparency in the electoral process in the NBA,” he said.

n

Taiwo also expressed support for the ongoing use of the National Identification Number to verify lawyers eligible to participate in the election.

n

“I, therefore, flowing from this extract, support any move or actions to ensure transparency. This means I support the use of NIN by lawyers desirous of voting in the election,” he stated.

n

He added that the NBA, as the umbrella body of legal practitioners in Nigeria, should be capable of conducting credible elections without relying on external observers.

n

“We do not need any outsider to monitor the election of an association of legal practitioners,” he said.

n

Meanwhile, Mrs Boma Alabi (SAN) criticised the practice of adopting candidates through regional forums in the NBA presidential election, describing it as outdated and inconsistent with democratic principles.

n

The lawyer argued that endorsements by regional groups had become more divisive than beneficial.

n

“The truth is this practice belongs in the dark ages, not in 2026. Certainly, adoption by regional fora may have had some utility in the past, but in today’s NBA it has become more divisive than unifying,” Alabi asserted.

n

She contended that such endorsements were often driven by ethnic considerations rather than genuine regional representation.

n

“Lawyers across the country want to exercise their individual choice, not be told who to support by blocs. Adoption risks alienating members and undermining the democratic spirit of the Association. At this point in our history, open competition, free choice and universal suffrage are far more salutary than regional endorsements,” Alabi argued.

n

On the selection of the information technology company to conduct the NBA election, the senior lawyer stressed that the process must be transparent to inspire confidence among members.

n

“The credibility of our elections rests heavily on the IT company chosen to manage the process. If the selection is not transparent, it naturally breeds suspicion,” she stated.

n

She added that the procurement process, the company’s expertise in secure electronic voting and the absence of conflicts of interest were all essential to ensuring credible elections.

n

“What we need is not just competence but also trust. The perception of impartiality is as important as technical capacity. Digital activities always leave a footprint that can be easily identified,” Alabi noted.

n

She advised candidates with reservations about the election process to take advantage of available technological tools to independently monitor the exercise.

n

The SAN endorsed universal suffrage for the NBA election, noting, “I stand firmly on the side of universal suffrage. The NBA is a diverse body, and every lawyer deserves a voice in choosing its leadership. The delegates system concentrates power in the hands of a few, which is contrary to democratic ideals,” she said.

n n