Isaac Ogbah says Femi Falana, SAN, and Akintola, SAN, lacks the moral will to argue in support of formation of a new lawyers’ association, since both learned silks supported Adesina to emerge as the NBA President in the last elections.
Barrister Isaac Ogbah told Elombah Television that the crisis facing the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is because the preferred candidate of Chief Femi Falana (SAN) and Niyi Akinola (SAN) failed to emerge as President of the association of legal practitioners in the country.
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ElombahNews has reported that the Nigerian Bar Association was factionalized following the disinvitation of Governor Nasir El-rufai as speaker at the annual conference of Lawyers.
Speaking in a video conference with Elombah Television anchored in the United Kingdom, the Lawyer and Editor-In-Chief, Erudite Judgments of the Supreme Court explained that upon Olumide Akpata emerging as the President of the association both Falana and Akintola were drumming beats of forming another association.
He said that as a member of NBA, you are expected to have undivided loyalty to the association, adding that forming another group is punishable under the law.
According to him, as a member of NBA you are expected to have undivided loyalty, the decision to form NNBA is punishable under the law.
Barrister Ogbah said, “The disinvitation of El-rufai was well discussed at NBA meeting and about three people spoke against the disinvitation of El-rufai others supported the disinvitation and President has no choice than to go with the majority .
“Before the last conducted NBA election, everybody is aware that Femi Falana pitched his tent with Dele Adesina, everybody is aware that Niyi Akintola pitched his tent with dele Adesina, other people pitched their tent with Ajibade or Akpata.
“It was when Olumide Akpata won the election that drum beats of forming another association started, and with due respect to our learned Senior Colleagues who were supporting factional association, if their candidate had won, will Falana be singing that song today”.
“If Dele Adesina had won, will Akintola (SAN) be singing that song today? The answer is no.
Also responding to a statement by another speaker at the virtual conference, and one of the Conveners of the ‘new Nigerian Bar Association’ (nNBA), Muhammad Daee Abubakar, who denied that the new association was formed because Governor Nasir El-rufai was disinvited as a Speaker in the just concluded NBA conference, Mr Ogbah asked:
“If El-rufai had been invited, will Abubakar be saying to form a new NBA?
“In 2008, Maurice was invited to speak at the 2008 conference, but based on protests of some NBA members, in view of the shoddy way in which 2007 election was organized, NBA disinvited him.
“Did you hear that Eastern Nigeria branches of the NBA formed another association? The answer is No.”
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Explaining the reasons why Wike and Obasanjo were not disinvited, he said , “Wike is a lawyer and a life bencher, so you can’t disinvite him, and moreover, there were no petition against Obasanjo or wike. ”
He also explained that there is nothing wrong in forming another association because there is freedom of association.
“We have freedom of association, so whether Abubakar likes it or not or any other person, they can go and form any association they like, they have the right to do so.
“Even within the NBA, we have “Egbe Amofin”, we have mid-western forum , the same way we have Arewa lawyers forum, the same way we have Eastern Bar forum, we even have the Christian Lawyers and we also have MULAN, but whatever nomenclature they call themselves, they are still under NBA.
“legally speaking, nNBA can’t be a replacement for NBA, Abubakar is being economical with the truth.
“They have had several press statements released by them stating why they are forming this new NBA unfortunately , he is denying the reason behind the formation of New NBA .
“We have several press statements stating that fact as one of the reason, they even wrote a letter to the Attorney General of Federation stating that, they even claim that there are cabals in NBA, but unfortunately, they have not been bold enough to name the so called Cabal.
“There are several laws and Enactment that recognise NBA as regulatory body for lawyers.
“If you don’t have a stamp and seal of NBA you cannot practice law in this country.
“You can not file any document without stamp and seal.
“If you don’t want to belong to NBA drop your stamp and seal. There is no provision for new NBA.
If you want to exit NBA you can exit but don’t appear in any court. The rules, the law will catch up with you.
“We have so many courts pronouncement showing the role of NBA in the regulations of law practices.”
Elombah News reached out to Mr Falana to respond the claims of being behind the NBA crisis. His response has not been received at the time of going to press.
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