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Tag: Mahmoud

  • Agbakoba, Mahmoud, Akintola: CJN’s non-appearance at CCT in order

    Two former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Presidents Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) and Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), as well as Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN) yesterday backed the non-appearance of Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

    This was as a professor of law Yemi Akinseye-George described the charge of non-declaration of assets as “incompetent”.

    They spoke in separate interviews with our correspondents.

    Agbakoba said: “The CJN did not appear before the CCT mainly on grounds that there was no personal service of the charges, a point conceded by learned prosecution counsel.

    “But more important, no one is obliged to obey an unconstitutional document or direction.

    “So, as the President enjoys official immunity from prosecution by virtue of the Constitution, the CJN cannot be compelled to appear before the Tribunal in exactly the same way President Buhari cannot be compelled to appear in court as he is protected by constitutional immunity.

    “The only way to proceed against the CJN is to either approach the NJC or Senate.

    “In respect of the Senate, the procedure is that an impeachment process will be held.

    “So, these are only two lawful methods to summon the CJN before a court,” he said.

    Mahmoud said Chief Justice Onnoghen’s non-appearance at the CCT must have been based on advice from his lawyers. To him, he must have been properly advised.

    The SAN added: “The charges don’t really look credible. The Bar association has condemned it and that is the correct position.”

    On the CJN’s non-appearance at the CCT, Mahmoud said: “I’m sure he must have been properly advised by his legal team.”

    Akintola said Chief Justice Onnoghen or any other defendant is perfectly within his legal right to not enter appearance in a criminal trial unless and until he is personally served with the charge.

    He said: “The CJN’s non-appearance in court has no legal implications. In the first place, the CJN has not been served personally. In the eyes of the law, there’s nothing against him. He must be served personally.

    “Again, if he has objection to the jurisdiction of the court, he needs not appear. When you look at the law, all the noise and media hype being made are of no moment.

    “As far as I’m concerned, from the little I’ve read on the pages of newspapers and what transpired today (yesterday), there is nothing against the CJN until he is served.

    “You can’t shave a man’s head in his absence. You have to serve him personally and he has a right to raise objections to the charge, which he has done.

    “It is not peculiar to the CJN or any other accused person. The Constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act say that you have to serve the accused person personally.

    “In criminal trials, you must serve the accused person personally. You can’t serve information indicting somebody by proxy.”

    Akinseye-George said the charges, which he described as incompetent, cannot stand in law because they were not prepared in accordance with the due process of law.

    Read also: APC, PDP quarrel over CJN Onnoghen’s trial

    “The due process of law is that the CJN or any other judge who is still serving must first be investigated and then findings made by the NJC before he can be exposed to either the CCT or regular courts.

    “We should not allow political expediency to make us truncate democracy. The rule of law requires maturity. It requires even-handedness. The judiciary has done a lot to advance the anti-corruption fight. So, this whole issue is an unnecessary distraction,” Akinseye-George said.

    But, Ogun State Judicial Service Commission member Abayomi Omoyinmi said the CJN should have appeared before the CCT

    “Fundamentally, the service of court summons on any defendant is a condition precedent for appearance and or response to such summons of any court processes.

    “However, I believed that the CJN should have appeared before the CCT, notwithstanding that evidence of personal service of the summons on the CJN was an issue before the court.

    “The CJN having been represented by eminent senior lawyers in court, one would have argued that the CJN need not have refused to appear before the court, even if personal service of the summons was not effected on him, but he has notice of the hearing against him before the CCT,” Omoyinmi argued.

  • NBA holds elections August 6

    The Nigeria Bar Association ( NBA ) will hold its national elections on August 6.

    Its President, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja on Friday.

    Mahmoud said the elections has been scheduled  between midnight on August 6 (when the voting portal would be opened) and midnight on August 8 (when the portal would be shot).

    He assured that all necessary measures have been taken to ensure a transparent electoral process that will meet the expectation of all members.

    Mahmoud added that although national elections were always held in July, the decision to conduct this year’s exercise in August was informed by some developments that required the attention of NBA leadership.

    “The delay has nothing to do with the competence of the NBA, the Electoral Committee or that of the technological services providers. It was as a result of the several issues raised by some members, which we found necessary to address,” Mahmoud said.

     

    Details later…

  • Make public education state affair, says Mahmoud

    Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) has blamed the deplorable state of public universities on a faulty federal system.

    He called for reform to give states and local governments more control over public education.

    Mahmoud recalled his university days when he ate a three- course meal free, studied in well- stocked libraries, and was taught by well-trained and highly motivated teachers.

    According to him, public universities are today a shadow of themselves and require “heavy investment” by the government.

    The NBA president, a 1979 graduate of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, spoke at a fundraising dinner organised by the Dominican University (DU) Ibadan where he delivered the keynote address.

    The event drew several dignitaries, including catholic archbishops, business leaders and Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) led by Chief Anthony Idigbe, who is a member of the fundraising committee, and Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, who chaired the dinner.

    Reliving his university days, Mahmoud said he not only ate in very clean and well-managed cafeterias, it was always a joy to be at the new arrival section of the university library for the latest publications from around the world.

    “The university experience was dignified and conducive to learning and character formation. As a student, I could even afford to buy newspaper and periodicals. Not anymore. Nigerian public universities are now a shadow of what they used to be.

    “The campus experience for most students is brutal and inhuman. Students live in sub-human conditions in most public universities,” he said.

    Mahmoud recalled that when he resumed as Pro-Chancellor of the Kano University of Science and Technology, he visited the hostels and was shocked to find a “most undignified existence”, with 12 students living in a room meant for three.

    “The sanitary conditions were appalling, the entire corridors were littered with kerosene stoves and cooking pots for preparing what would hardly pass as decent meals by the students.

    “For most, life on campus was a dreadful experience,” he said, adding that the situation describes the state of public universities across the country.

    The NBA president was of the view that funding was a major constraint, as Nigeria’s budgetary expenditure remains the lowest compared to other African countries.

    He said while Ghana and Botswana spend about 10 per cent of their GDP on education, Nigeria’s hovers around three to four percent.

    He also decried inconsistent policies on education and a dysfunctional federal structure.

    “There is a view that the federal structure hinders innovation, flexibility in policy formulation and stifles responses to local conditions and challenges.

    “Too much power and resources are concentrated on a few hands at the federal level at the expense of states and local governments. This encourages abuse and corruption.

    “Education, it is argued, should be purely a state and probably local government affair. Undoubtedly, the Nigerian federal system is convoluted and in need of reform.

    “Nigeria’s federal system will benefit so much from decentralisation and will assist in making public institutions more functional, more responsive and more efficient,” he said.

    Mahmoud, however, said he did not subscribe to “the reductionist view” that true federalism and restructuring were the magic wand to address all development challenges.

    To him, such a position was “simplistic” and often an excuse for a failure to pay detailed attention to the developmental challenges the country faces.

    The NBA chief said the government must to invest heavily in education.

    “We must match and try to surpass the rest of Africa if we must retain our leadership on the continent. Any spending that is less than 10 per cent of total share of GDP in my view is not ambitious,” he said.

    According to him, robust policy review must be encouraged, adding that educational policies were too important to be left in the hands of government alone.

    “There is a great room for private sector investment in education, through public-private and private-private partnerships,” he said.

    He said other interventions could be through partnerships, scholarships, grants and endowments.

    Former Anambra State Governor/DU’s Governing Council chairman Mr Peter Obi, said Nigeria’s education budget was one of the worst globally.

    “The more educated a country is, the more you grow and the better the society. We have not invested in education,” he said, while emphasising that the world was moving away from “baggage economy to knowledge economy”.

    Obi said between 2010 and 2014, Nigeria’s budget on education was N1.8 trillion (about $11billion); in 2015/2016, it was N761billion (about $2.1billion).

    “Over seven years, our budget for education was $13.2billion. South Africa’s budget for education in 2015 was $15.4bilion, and they’re 55 million while we’re 186 million. Egypt’s budget on education was $13billion, with a population of 95million.

    “Our budget is not up to one per cent of our GDP. It’s totally unacceptable. We need to do something very aggressively. Nigeria does not see education as an investment but as expense,” he said.

    Obi believes the money is there; the problem was the misplaced priority.

    “We need to get people in government to invest money where we need investment, and that is in education,” he said.

    DU said the event was organised to raise N1.2billion for its administrative building, N1.3billion for three 100-capacity hostels, N168million for a cafetaria, N465million for its faculty building, N100million for network of tarred roads, among several others.

  • Justice summit to honour Mahmoud, Bello, Okowa, other jurists

    The Nigerian Bar Association NBA) Criminal Justice Reform Committee has unveiled plans to honour leading jurists and other stakeholders, who have distinguished themselves in promoting criminal justice reform in Nigeria.

    Among those to receive the awards at the forthcoming NBA Criminal Justice Reform Conference in Asaba are all past chairmen of the NBA Criminal Justice Reform Committee, including NBA President, Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN).

    A statement by the Head of Publicity Sub-committee, Mr. Emeka Nwadioke, listed the honorees to include Justice Ishaq Bello, Chief Judge of FCT High Court and Chairman of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee; former NBA President, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), and Dr. Garba Tetengi (SAN).

    Others are renowned criminal justice reform advocates including Mr. Fola Arthur-Worrey, Prof Deji Adekunle (SAN), Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN), Mr. Chino Obiagwu, and frontline prison reform activist and Executive Director of Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA) Dr. Uju Agomoh.

    Also to be bestowed with the awards are Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, MacArthur Foundation as well as the Yar’Adua Foundation for their support to criminal justice reform initiatives in the country. Delta State is hosting the criminal justice reform conference for an unprecedented second time. The state is also hosting the dinner for conferees. The dinner/awards will draw the curtains on the conference scheduled to hold at the Asaba Convention Centre between April 24 and 27, 2018.

    The theme is: Criminal justice reforms in Nigeria: The journey so far. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) is expected to deliver the keynote address, while leading jurist and former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Prof. Epiphany Azinge (SAN) will deliver the dinner speech.

    Other dignitaries expected at the ICLE-certified conference are Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki; House of Representatives Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), among other jurists.

    The criminal justice committee had unveiled the official website (https://www.nba-cjrc.org) for the conference. The portal incorporates a payment platform for potential conferees to register.

    While young lawyers of between 1-7 years post-call will pay N5,000, non-lawyers and mid-level lawyers of eight years and above post-call will pay N15,000.

    Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), Benchers and Judges will register with N50, 000.

  • How women lawyers can succeed, by Mahmoud, CJ, others

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) has urged women lawyers to be consistent and passionate about what they believe in order to achieve their goals in a competitive world.

    He spoke at a workshop to mark the International Women’s Day (IWD).

    NBA held a one-day Women-in Law forum in line with this year’s global theme: #PressforProgress. It was held at the CBN Training Institute, Maitama, Abuja.

    Mahmoud acknowledged the day’s importance, saying it was the first time the NBA would mark the day.

    He said:  ”The NBA data base has 49,850 verified practicing lawyers out of which 14,647 or 29 per cent of this number are women. In many law faculties, female students have reached numerical parity or even surpassed their male counterparts.

    “However, the achievements recorded by female lawyers are yet to reflect their numerical strength. We do not have the figures, but anecdotal evidence will suggest that there are relatively few law firms owned or headed by female lawyers across the country.

    “In the leadership of the NBA, women lawyers are still under represented because out of our 125 branches of the NBA across the country, only three branches are currently headed by women.

    “In the Judiciary, the picture even though better, is still far from reflective of the numerical strength of women and their positive contributions to the legal profession.

    “Only six women have ever been on the Bench of Nigeria’s Supreme Court, only one woman has ever been the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). Only one woman has occupied the office of the President of the Court of Appeal.

    “It is clear to us, therefore, that whilst there has been tremendous progress in the legal profession in terms of gender parity, much is left to be achieved.”

    Mahmoud said the NBA would complement “the great work that is being done at various other levels whether by NBA Women’s Forum, the Association of Women Judges or FIDA”, who he said draw attention to challenges facing female lawyers.

    Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello, in his goodwill message, said the issue of parity in numerical strength of women in the legal profession was one that had occupied a central position in recent times.

    Chairman Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Section on Legal Practice (SLP) Mrs. Miannaya Essien (SAN) said in order to break the glass ceiling, women must know what they want.

    “If you don’t know what you want, you cannot break the glass ceiling,” she said.

    Essien said women must be consistent and passionate about the things they believe in because only then can they achieve their goals in a competitive world.

    She called on female lawyers to approach their professional careers with courage, confidence and integrity.

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mrs. Victoria Awomolo narrated her accidental entry into the legal profession.

    She said: “I was a Chemistry teacher and after 10 years’ career as science teacher, I told my husband that I wanted a change of career. He suggested the idea of running a pharmacy, but said it would be frustrating because of poor patronage. ‘Why not Law?’ he suggested.

    ”I told him that I had Advanced Level Certificate in Physics, Chemistry and Biology. ‘You can do it!’, he insisted.

    “This happened at a time when the University of Ibadan admitted first degree holders for LL. B. Degree,” Awolomo, one of the first 20 women to become SAN, said.

    Legal Aid Council of Nigeria Director-General Mrs. Joy Bob-Manuel said it takes mentoring, networking and hardwork for women lawyers to succeed.

    “No man will leave his post for you to come and pick, you have to go for it. You must be persistent, never take NO for an answer,” Bob-Manuel said.

    Acting Chair, NBA Abuja Branch Mrs. Princess Chukwuani narrated her turbulent experience as chairperson of the crisis-ridden Unity branch.

    She said:  ”I was traumatised; I couldn’t go home because I was at a crossroad. My husband would say: ‘why don’t you drop this NBA wahala?’  I knew that to quit as chairperson of Unity Bar was to open the gateway to a torrent of troubles, and to remain there was to keep enduring the heat of the hot seat.

    “I was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. I kept asking God to grant me the grace and strength to stay on the job,” she said.

    Chukwuani urged female lawyers to take to mentoring, hard work, support from fellow women, and shun petty gossip.

    The second session resumed with presentations by panelists including NBA National Treasurer Ms. Aisha Ado Abdullahi, Deputy Director Legal Department of the Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST)   Mrs. Ruth Badung Kaburuk and former Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) President,  Mrs.F.  Boma Ayomide Alabi, who moderated the session.

    Mrs. Kaburuk narrated the course of her career which catapulted her to the position of a Deputy Director in NIPOST.

    Abdullah told the forum that she was the first lawyer to come out of her family in which her two parents were bankers, and that she had no role model to mentor her along her career path.

    She said she forced her way out of Kano, at least to break the boredom of home environment, and attend Lagos campus of the Nigerian Law School before being called to the Bar.

    Although she desired to work in Dikko & Mahmoud’s Chambers in Kano, that dream never came true.

    Mrs. Alabi presented an exciting narrative of an encounter which drew out the fire in her. She had lodged in an Abuja hotel, when an unruly politician descended on the open space to disturb the peace of lodgers.

    She said she applied the philosophy of ICE – Ignore, Confront and Educate, which effectively stopped the nuisance in the hotel.

    The programme was rounded up with awards of souvenirs to all the panelists.

  • NBA election: I’ve no preferred candidate, says Mahmoud

    Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) president Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) has said he has no preferred candidates for the association’s elective positions.

    Speaking at a meeting of the Arewa Lawyers Forum (ALF), he said all the candidates would get equal treatment.

    Mahmoud said ALF was key to the welfare of lawyers of Northern extraction, and can only achieve its objectives if there is peace among members.

    He urged members to avoid issues that tend to cause division but to come together as brothers because unity is the key to prosperity.

    Mahmoud, whose tenure ends in August, informed the ALF that he has no preferred candidates in the forthcoming NBA election.

    He said he had directed NBA Electoral Committee to disqualify any candidate who runs foul of the rules.

    Mahmoud frowned at a situation where some go about dropping his name and claiming that he is supporting their ambition.

    He stated that his ultimate goal was to deliver a credible, free and fair election for the association.

    ALF, at the meeting held in Kaduna, elected a caretaker committee to manage its affairs in the interim.

    Members are Mr. Elisha Kurah (SAN), Liman Salihu, Fatima Mohammed, Rabiatu Musa and Mohammed Mongonu.

    The committee is to manage the affairs of the association until it conducts its election immediately after the NBA  election in July.

  • Legal Practitioners Act to be replaced, says Mahmoud

    A draft law to replace the Legal Practitioners Act is ready, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) has said.

    Highlighting his efforts to restore confidence in the profession, Mahmoud said he set up a committee in December 2016, which has since submitted its report with far-reaching recommendations.

    Among them, he said, is a draft new law to replace the Legal Practitioners Act.

    “This law, if approved and passed, we hope, will introduce far reaching changes aimed at enhancing legal education, setting better entry standards, continuing professional development and discipline.”

    Mahmoud sought the Federal Government’s support in efforts to reform the legal profession.

    “A strong modern legal profession is key in our view to building the country’s legal system; necessary for peace and development; necessary for attracting confidence of all those who seek to do business with Nigeria.

    “If Nigeria must transit to a modern economy and be competitive globally, it must have a respected legal profession and judicial system. This is our objective,” said Mahmoud.

    The NBA president called for due process in investigation of judges for corruption, as, according to him, a strong and independent judiciary is the bulwark of democracy and the rule of law.

    Mahmoud expressed the association’s “strong disapproval” with what he called “very strong arm tactics” employed in October 2016 by security agencies in trying to address allegations of corruption in the judiciary.

    “No citizen of Nigeria is above the law, not lawyers, not judges. However, nothing must be done to encourage wholesale undermining of the Judiciary as an institution.

    “We believe that the investigations of allegations of corruption in the judiciary could be done in line with the tenets of the rule of law and due process and respecting accepted administrative measures and conventions that will protect the institution whilst pursuing corrupt elements within.

    “As we move forward we will like to reiterate our support for all efforts by the Federal Government to assist the judiciary to rid itself of all elements of corruption in order to enhance public confidence in the administration of justice,” Mahmoud said.

    The NBA President praised President Muhammadu Buhari for the proposed N100 billion in the 2018 budget proposals for the judiciary, but noted that it is only about 1.2 per cent of the national budget.

    According to him, it is far from the internationally recommended funding ratio, which he said should be a minimum of 2.5 per cent of the budget for the Judiciary.

    NBA said it was concerned about what appears to be blatant disobedience of court orders “by this administration”.

    Addressing President Buhari during a visit, Mahmoud said: “Your administration would be sending a strong message to ordinary citizens by directing all agencies, especially security agencies, to respect and obey orders of court.

    “There are many citizens being held in disobedience to court orders. We urge that your Excellency does something about this,” he said.

    Mahmoud decried the fact that security and anti-graft agencies seem to be working at cross-purposes, highlighting the “unhealthy relationship between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS)”.

    He urged President Buhari to urgently rein in the erring agencies and officials.

    This, he said, was necessary so as not to undermine confidence in the government and promote lawlessness in the country.

    “We will like to reiterate our call on your Excellency on the need to address the seeming dissonance amongst various departments of government.

    “Government needs to be seen to be acting in a coordinated fashion in order to maintain confidence of the citizens,” he said.

    NBA decried the appalling and overcrowded prisons conditions, noting that out of a prison population of 72,179, only 23,491 are convicted persons, with over 67 per cent awaiting trial.

    It urged the Federal Government to expand and modernise the facilities to make conditions humane.

    “We strongly recommend far reaching reforms to deal with the issues of prisons in Nigeria.

    “There appears no reason why Prisons must remain in Exclusive Legislative List for instance,” said Mahmoud.

  • NBA must remain one, says Mahmoud, Alegeh

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged lawyers to suppport its reconcilliation committee to unite the Bar.

    NBA’s immediate past president Augustine Alegeh (SAN) had set up a five-man committee to reach out to the aggrieved.

    The committee is chaired by a former president Thompson Okpoko (SAN). Members include former presidents Mr. OCJ Okocha (SAN), Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), former General Secretary Mr. Afro Fayokun and former president of Catholic Lawyers Association, Mr. Mbanugo Udenze (Secretary).

    NBA General Secretary  Mr. Isiaka Abiola Olagunju said the committee is expected to submit its report to the National Executive Committee (NEC) in November.

    “The president  wants  to work with everybody. We need the contribution of every lawyer for the success of the association.

    “Apart from the Okpoko committee, the new president Abubkar Mahmoud (SAN) has also constituted committees to resolve the problems in Abuja and Ikeja branches of the association,” Olagunju said.

    When the  Alegeh administration was inaugurated in Owerri in August 2014, it inherited a court case by a member  against  the Bar.

    Mr. Seth Amaefula of the Lagos branch of the NBA and others sued NBA at the Federal High Court, Lagos, challenging what they described as arbitrary hike in practicing and conference fees by the Joseph Daudu ( SAN) and Okey Wali (SAN) administrations.

    During his inaugural speech in Owerri, Alegeh annulled the election of  the  Governing Council  of the NBA Section on Legal Practice (SLP)  which had  Mrs. Mia Essien (SAN) as chairman.

    It was on the  basis that their election did not follow  proper procedure.

    SLP members said Alegeh did not first constitute a NEC or obtain its approval before annulling the eleciton.

    Dissatisfied, the members, including Mrs. Boma Ozobia and Mrs. Bunmi Ibraheem, sued Alegeh, Babajide Koku  ( SAN) and others to challenge what they called an arbitrary abuse of power.

    The suit sought declarations that Alegeh lacked the legal competence to do what he did. They sought injunctions against him.

    Interim injunctive orders were obtained and duly served on him which he allegedly disobeyed. The matter is still in court.

    Alegeh had also appointed  Dr. Garba Tertengi (SAN) as the Chairman of the Constitution drafting Committee with the mandate to amend the constitution and produce Uniform Bye Laws for all the branches of the association.

    One of the provisions of the constitution was that anybody who had contested for and held offices at any branch for two or more times is disqualified from contesting for any branch election  for five years and anybody who had done so at national level was disqualified from contesting for any office at the national level until after 10 years.

    The new constitution was adopted and passed into law in 2015 but was made to have a retrospective effect.  This generated a lot of bad blood because 71 branches of the association were compelled to hold elections to comply with this provision but Alegeh enjoyed a full tenure of two years.

    The new constitution also provided for Electronic voting on the basis of which the last election was held.

    At the Federal High in Benin, a lawyer Mrs P. I. Iyomon sued Alegeh and NBA to challenge her forceful removal from office as the chairman of NBA Benin branch, having been elected in October 2014.

    Following the alleged imposition of  Ezenwa Anumunu as Abuja Branch chair, Mr. Victor Abasiakan-Ekim who was elected the branch chairman sued at the FCT High Court. He sought an injunction  restraining Anumunu from parading himself as the Chairman of the Abuja Branch for having not participated in the election.

    In Ikeja branch, there are three court cases against Alegeh  and the NBA.

    Adesina Ogunlana, who won the election, is seeking an injunction quashing the nullification of the branch election by the NBA NEC led by Alegeh. He secured an order of court, an interim injunction restraining the NBA from swearing in Dele Oloke as the branch chairman. Ogunlana also filed a second suit seeking to stop the defendants from breaching his right to fair hearing and to stop them from from proceeding on any disciplinary action against him pending the determination of his suit .

    Also in Ikeja, Mr. Dare Akande sue Alegeh and others, challenging the purported election of Mr. Dele Oloke as the Chairman of NBA Ikeja branch.

    On the presidency, Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama (SAN) sued NBA, Alegeh and others at the FCT High Court, challenging the irregulsrities and  manipulation of the 2016 NBA election.

    He is seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining A. B. Mahmoud (SAN)  from parading himself as NBA president.

    Former NBA Asst National Publicity Secretary Mr. John Unachukwu is also in  the  FCT High Court contesting his disqualification from contesting the election when he emerged the sole candidate for the office of national Publicity Secretary.

    Lagos lawyer, Mr. Olasupo Ojo is in the Federal High Court, Abuja contesting the validity of the NBA constitution and objecting to the registration of same by the NBA. He wants the 2016 constitution of the NBA voided for reason of not being registered at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

    Chairman of NBA Lagos branch, Mr. Martin Ogunleye, Prince Basil Ikpenwa and Mr. Abioye Akerele are at the Federal High Court  in Lagos against the CAC, Incorporated Trutees of the NBA and Alegeh challenging the validity of the unregistered 2015 constitution of the NBA.

    Among others, they seek: “A declaration that  by the  provision  of section 600 of the Companies and Allied Matters  Act, 2004, “EXHIBIT  B”; the amended Constitution of  the Nigerian Bar Association purportedly amended and adopted  at  the Annual General Meeting held in Abuja on 27th August, 2015 and pursuant to which the administration and  affairs  of the 2nd defendant  has been,  and  is being  conducted is null and void.”

  • Ex-Kano AGF Mahmoud beats Gadzama to lead NBA

    Ex-Kano AGF Mahmoud beats Gadzama to lead NBA

    Former Kano State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) has won the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) election.

    He polled 3,055 votes to beat his challenger, Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama (SAN), who scored 2,384 votes.

    The result was announced yesterday. Voting was done online in a newly introduced universal suffrage.

    Mahmoud will serve for two years, with Caleb Danjan (first vice president); former NBA Ikeja chairman MondayUbani second vice president); and Benedict Oji (third vice president), who were returned unopposed.

    For the Office of General Secretary, Mr Isiaka Olagunju scored 2,721 votes, beating Desmond Yamah, who scored 2,510 votes.

    Other winners are Leo Ohagba (first assistant secretary), who scored 2,402 votes, defeating Kunle Edunolu, with 1,653 votes and Enebi Salihu, who polled 1,067 votes.

    The rest are Cecilia Ugbuji (second assistant secretary), Aisha Abdullahi (treasurer), Adesina Adegbite (welfare secretary), Ngozi Udodi (financial secretary), Dorcas Ngwu (assistant financial secretary), Chukwuemeka Mbamala (assistant publicity secretary) and Oyeyemi Balogun (legal adviser).

    While campagning, Mahmoud said NBA presidency was an opportunity to serve and help restore the crisis of confidence in the judiciary, adding that his strongest motivation would be to rebuild the legal profession.

    According to him, the association must stand up for a clean judiciary, which he said should produce consistent, predictable outcomes based on facts and the law.

    “Unfortunately, this cannot be said to be the situation in Nigeria. Many a time, the outcomes are hardly predictable. So we want a judiciary that is clean, efficient and effective,” he said.

    Mahmoud said the NBA, under him, would address the issues of infrastructure deficit, corruption, flawed judicial appointments processes and the code of conduct for judicial officers.

    Following allegations that the process was being manipulated to favour him, Mahmoud said he was confident the electoral committee would be impartial as he would prefer to win an election that was credible.

     

  • I’ve no connection with Ibori, says NBA aspirant Mahmoud

    I’ve no connection with Ibori, says NBA aspirant Mahmoud

    THE Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) presidential candidate Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) has debunked a report that he once represented convicted former Delta State Governor James Ibori.

    The report claims Mahmoud; NBA President Augustine Alegeh (SAN); and NBA Electoral Committee Chairman Ken Mozia (SAN) were part of a team of lawyers that represented Ibori in a corruption case.

    Mahmoud, at a briefing in Lagos, described the report as “utter nonsense and utter mischief”, saying his firm only represented attorney-general of the federation in a fundamental rights’ suit filed by Ibori’s community against the Federal Government.

    “I’ve never represented anybody called Ibori in my life. My firm has never acted for him,” he said.

    Mahmoud said he sees NBA presidency as an opportunity to serve and help restore the crisis of confidence rocking the judiciary, adding that his strongest motivation is to rebuild the legal profession.

    According to him, the Bar association must stand up for a clean judiciary, which he said should produce consistent, predictable outcomes based on known facts and the law.

    “Unfortunately, this cannot be said to be the situation in Nigeria. Many a time, the outcomes are hardly predictable. So we want a judiciary that is clean, efficient and effective,” he said.

    Mahmoud said the NBA, under him, would address infrastructure deficit, corruption, flawed judicial appointments processes and the code of conduct for judicial officers.