•Egbe Amofin throws weight behind AGF’s intervention

The Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) has insisted that the NBA’s national officers’ election will hold as scheduled on Saturday, July 18, 2026, despite mounting controversies surrounding the process, while the Egbe Amofin O’odua has defended the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), over his intervention in the electoral dispute.

ECNBA Chairman, Chief Aham Ejelam (SAN), said there would be no shift in the election date and vowed not to resign despite what he described as intimidation, blackmail and threats from individuals opposed to the electoral process.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Ejelam said the election would proceed in line with the revised timetable released by the committee.

“The election remains scheduled for Saturday, July 18, 2026, in accordance with the revised timetable published by the ECNBA. The Committee has publicly reiterated that the process will continue unless altered by a competent constitutional authority,” he said.

Ejelam was responding to an open letter by Chief Yomi Aliyu (SAN), who had called on him to resign as chairman of the ECNBA.

Rejecting the call, Ejelam described the allegations against him as baseless and intended to undermine the credibility of both his person and the electoral committee.

He maintained that his appointment as ECNBA chairman was neither politically motivated nor influenced by personal interests but was an acceptance of a professional responsibility at a critical period in the association’s history.

According to him, the committee was constituted in accordance with the NBA Constitution and could only be dissolved through constitutional mechanisms or by a court of competent jurisdiction.

He also dismissed claims that the election service provider was imposed on the committee or lacked the capacity to conduct the exercise, insisting that the procurement process followed due process.

Ejelam challenged anyone with credible evidence of wrongdoing against the service provider to present it before the committee or relevant investigative authorities rather than relying on public allegations.

He further assured NBA members that the committee had not authorised the use of unlawfully obtained data for the election and remained committed to protecting the integrity of the electoral process.

“The ECNBA will remain focused. It will not be distracted by political pressure from any quarter. It will continue to treat all candidates and stakeholders fairly and conduct the election in accordance with the governing framework,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Egbe Amofin O’odua has condemned criticisms directed at the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), over his recommendation that the NBA postpone its national election.

The group faulted comments by NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), the Eastern Bar Forum and the Mid-Western Bar Forum, describing their attacks on the AGF and senior lawyers from the South-West as unfair and misleading.

Fagbemi had, following a June 11, 2026 meeting with former NBA presidents and other stakeholders, advised that the election be shifted from July to August to allow for the resolution of issues surrounding the compulsory use of the National Identification Number (NIN) for electronic voting, pending court cases and concerns over the appointment of an untested election service provider.

Osigwe had rejected the directive, describing it as unconstitutional, ultra vires and an interference in the affairs of an independent association.

However, in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Aare Isiaka Abiola Olagunju (SAN), and Secretary, Prince Adetunji Oso (SAN), Egbe Amofin said the AGF’s recommendations were based on the report of a three-member committee established after consultations with former NBA presidents and counsel involved in pending litigation over the election.

The association argued that critics of the AGF had failed to objectively address the substantive issues he raised and instead resorted to personal attacks.

It added that the credibility of the NBA depends on conducting an election that reflects the principles of the rule of law, transparency and democratic legitimacy.

Quoting a recent admonition by a senior member of the Bar, Egbe Amofin stated that lawyers could not credibly demand democratic standards from other institutions unless they uphold those same standards within the NBA. (Text, excluding headline: Nigerian Tribune)

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