NBA elections: Ex-scribe threatens to sue over zone of origin
A former first national secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeazor Akaraiwe, says he is suing the association over his eligibility to contest for the office of NBA president at the next election.
In an interview with Daily Trust recently, Akaraiwe said his decision revolves around S.2.2 (b) & (e) 2nd Schedule of the current NBA Constitution, which circumscribes eligibility to contest four offices of the NBA “to a candidate’s geographical zone of origin and not the geographical zone where he/she carries on legal practice.”
This, according to him, is unjust, discriminatory and undermining of sections 15 (2), 15 (3) (b), 41 (1) and 42 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.
He said S.2.2 (b) stipulates that “In determining eligibility of a candidate to contest for any of the (four) rotated offices, (including president of the Bar) regard shall be had to a candidate’s geographical zone of origin and not the geographical zone where he/she carries on legal practice.”
While S. 2.2 (e) stipulates that “A list of the states that make up the zones shall be as follows: Northern Zone – Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, and Abuja. (i) “Eastern Zone – Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra Enugu, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Cross River, Imo and Rivers.
“Western Zone – Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo.”
He said he has practiced law in Enugu for 32 years since 1985, and has always seen himself as a part of the Eastern Zone despite being from Okwe within the Asaba capital territory of Delta State.