The Port Harcourt branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has postponed its election indefinitely over protest by aggrieved lawyers.

History

The election was fixed for Friday July 24, 2026 but the crisis disrupted the process as voters were sighted demonstrating that it would not hold alleging manipulation.

The crisis attracted heavy security presence at the NBA House in Port Harcourt venue, who tried to ensure there is no violence associated with the protest.

As the protest lingered some officials tried to calm aggrieved lawyers but the poll was postponed indefinitely to prevent a possible breach of the peace.

As at press time, the committee was yet to announce a new date for the election.

One of the candidates for the position of Social Secretary, Chilezie Orlu-orlu alleged that the Electoral Committee failed to comply with the bye-law of the branch by not publishing the register ahead of the election.

He said, “To shock everybody yesterday night around 10:45p.m. to 11p.m., they published a final voters list. Meanwhile, we have never had any conversation as to the modalities for the election and the bye-law says if you’re publishing a final voters list you must give 14 days before the election within which you would have spoken to members giving them modalities, they bring their agents to do the final briefing before we will get ready for election.

“Yet he published it and said elections must hold this morning. The publication assuring us for this election came out last night as well as the final voters’ list. And we are saying that that is not what it should be. We are not satisfied,” Orlu-orlu added. (This Day)