Eastern Bar Forum releases guidelines for election

By John Austin Unachukwu

The Electoral Committee of the Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has released guidelines for the 2021 election into its Governing Council.

It said the guidelines followed the committee’s inauguration and ratification at the EBF general meeting of April 24, 2021, at the Customary Court of Appeal Hall, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

The guidelines, it explained, conformed to the EBF’s 2015 Constitution as amended and adopted on July 8, 2020, and time table for the 2021 Eastern Bar Forum Elections

A statement by the committee’s chairman Peace Ama-Eletuo and secretary Chima Ejie identified positions to be contested as provided under Article 4(3) including Chairman; Vice Chairman; Secretary; Treasurer; Financial Secretary; Welfare Secretary; Publicity Secretary; Legal Adviser and Assistant Secretary.

Noting that the Forum is divided into two blocs for the election of members of the Governing Council, it said there shall not be two officers from one state in the Governing Council.

“The position of Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer are to rotate among the two blocs. The Offices of Chairman and Treasurer shall further rotate jointly to one bloc while the Offices of Vice Chairman and Secretary shall rotate jointly to the other bloc.

“The two blocs are Bloc ‘A’ comprising; Abia State, Anambra State, Ebonyi State, Enugu State and Imo State and Bloc ‘B’ comprising of Akwa-Ibom State, Bayelsa State, Cross River State and Rivers State.

“A candidate contesting for any of the offices mentioned above must be a duly registered member of the Forum and must have attained the post enrolment qualification as at the date of the election into the affected office as follows:

“a) Chairman, Vice Chairman – 15 years. b) Secretary, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Legal Adviser – ten (10) years. c) Publicity Secretary, Welfare Secretary – eight (8) years. d) Assistant Secretary – five (5) years,” the statement said.

It added that candidates must have attended a minimum of three quarterly meetings of the Forum within eighteen (18) months from the day of the last election before the call for nomination.

They must also be validly nominated/sponsored in writing by two members who are as qualified as the aspirant and, such sponsors shall not nominate/sponsor more than one candidate for this election.