Odinkalu claims there's a scheme to sway the outcome of the NBA's presidential vote

Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, a renowned human rights lawyer and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, has made a startling allegation that certain vested interests are attempting to manipulate the upcoming Nigerian Bar Association presidential election by ensuring a single candidate runs unopposed.

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The Nigerian Bar Association is set to elect its 33rd president next month, with three Senior Advocates of Nigeria, namely Omoyemi Akangbe, Muyiwa Akinboro, and Oyinkansola Badejo-Okunsanya, vying for the office.

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According to Odinkalu, the NBA presidency rotates among the country's three historic regions - East, North, and West - and this year's election has been zoned to the Western Region, which comprises two informal blocs: the Egbe Amofin O’odua and the Mid-West Bar.

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The Mid-West Bar, made up of Edo and Delta states, has opted not to present a candidate, leaving the contest to candidates from the South-West, while the Egbe Amofin O’odua, representing the six South-West states, has endorsed Akinboro.

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Odinkalu alleged that the Egbe Amofin O’odua is seeking to prevent the other candidates from participating in the election, with the group lining itself up behind Muyiwa Akinboro as its preferred candidate.

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He claimed that the group has gone further to seek to require the NBA to exclude other candidates from the contest so that Mr Akinboro can emerge unopposed, a move that would be unfair to people who are not part of the Egbe Amofin and to the wider body of the NBA.

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Such a move, Odinkalu argued, would undermine the association's constitutional and institutional framework, and would also be a profound subversion of the constitutional and institutional arrangements of the Association.

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The senior lawyer further claimed that the Egbe Amofin O’odua had approached the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan to obtain an order suspending the NBA’s electoral process, with the case suffering an uneasy suspension.

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Odinkalu also alleged that some interests are threatening to seek the appointment of a sole administrator to oversee the NBA if their demands are not met, with the group even threatening to get the Attorney-General of the Federation to ‘nationalise’ the Association and designate a sole administrator for it.

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However, Odinkalu noted that the NBA is an NGO, and there is no legal framework for achieving this end, rendering the threat empty.

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He also urged lawyers to defend the association's “One Lawyer, One Vote” electoral system, alleging that one of the presidential candidates intends to abolish it if elected, a move that would have significant implications for the association.

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Odinkalu posed a question to younger lawyers, asking if they want a presidential candidate who wants to abolish One Lawyer, One Vote if he wins, highlighting the importance of considering the candidate's stance on this issue.

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Additionally, Odinkalu highlighted the candidacy of Oyinkansola Badejo-Okunsanya, noting that she could become the first woman to be directly elected NBA president, a historic milestone for the association.

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For the first time since 2006, this year's election features a woman with a real and competitive chance of becoming the first woman to be directly elected as the President of the NBA and only the second female president in the history of the Association.

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The NBA and the individuals mentioned in Odinkalu’s comments had not publicly responded to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.