Leaders Of Northern Lawyers Denounces “New Nigerian Bar Association”

Leaders of legal practitioners, particularly of northern extraction have pledged allegiance to the Nigerian Bar Association thereby denouncing the moves by some lawyers to create a splinter group, “New Nigerian Bar Association”.

The acting Chairman of the Arewa Lawyers’ Forum, Mr Elisha Kaura, disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting with the NBA President, Olumide Akpata, among others.

Punch reports that the participants from about 40 branches of the association in the northern region rejected the splinter group.

“We the undersigned individuals, who are Chairmen of the various branches of the Nigerian Bar Association that make up the Northern Geopolitical Zone as defined in the NBA Constitution 2015, and other senior members of the Bar have today Wednesday, September, 2, 2020 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, met with the NBA President, Mr Olumide Akpata, and the National Officers of the NBA.

“We have unanimously agreed to support his leadership of the NBA, and we hereby restate our true allegiance to the NBA and disassociate ourselves from the “New NBA” or any splitter group whatsoever making the waves in recent weeks as a new association/body of lawyers in Nigeria,” Kaura said.

He also stressed that though the NBA had its challenges, it would take teamwork to take it to greater heights.

“We understand that the NBA has historically and in recent times been fraught with several challenges but we are indeed assured that the NBA under the leadership of Mr. Olumide Akpata will surmount these challenges and birth an all-inclusive Bar that will work for all Lawyers in Nigeria regardless of any part of the divide one may belong,” he said.

It was earlier reported that the New NBA convener, Nuhu Ibrahim, accused the NBA of serving the interest of a selected few.

He added that that was the reason an alternative platform was been formulated.

“But the struggle is not about Olumide Akpata or any other personality, it’s purely a struggle of like minds who feel there must be an alternative to the NBA,” he said.

On his part, the NBA president had called for unity amongst lawyers.