Rivers NBA election postponed as protest erupts over voters’ list

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Crisis rocked the Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt Branch election scheduled for Friday, forcing the indefinite postponement of the exercise.

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The crisis attracted heavy security presence at the NBA House in Port Harcourt, the venue of the poll, as some candidates expressed dissatisfaction with the electoral process.

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Armed security operatives from the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services were deployed to the venue.

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The disagreement was largely linked to the voters’ register for the election.

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Speaking, one of the candidates for the position of Social Secretary, Chilezie Oluolu, alleged that the Electoral Committee failed to comply with the branch’s bye-laws by not publishing the voters’ register ahead of the election.

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“To everyone’s surprise, yesterday night, around 10:45 p.m. to 11 p.m., they published the final voters’ list. Meanwhile, we have never had any conversation as to the modalities for the election, and the bye-laws say that if you’re publishing a final voters’ list, you must give 14 days before the election, within which you would have spoken to members, explained the modalities, and allowed them to bring their agents for the final briefing before we get ready for the election.

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“Yet they published it and said the election must hold this morning. The publication announcing the election came out last night, as well as the final voters’ list.

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“And we are saying that is not how it should be. We are not satisfied.”

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As the crisis escalated, some of the candidates staged a walkout in protest.

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As the protest continued, some officials attempted to calm frayed nerves, but the poll was postponed indefinitely to prevent a possible breach of the peace.

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Meanwhile, the Electoral Committee has yet to announce a new date for the election.

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When contacted, a former Chairman of the NBA, Port Harcourt Branch, Prince Nyekwere, confirmed the postponement, saying, “They have not given us a new date yet.”

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