Akpata, new NBA president, says move to divide the bar unfortunate

The newly sworn-in president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata, has said that he is aware of recent events and agitations that have tended to divide the bar along regional and religious lines, describing the development as unfortunate for an egalitarian association like the NBA.

Speaking at the weekend shortly after he was sworn in as the 30th president of the most influential network of legal practitioners in Africa, Akpata said, “The weight of expectations on us is immense and there is no time to take anything for granted. This enormous task cannot be achieved if we continue to fan the embers of division at a time when we desperately need to unite and speak with one firm voice.”

He said the NBA which he is now at helm of its affair must be one that is united on all fronts and that recognises that the bar’s diversity is, perhaps, its greatest strength.

“I plead with all Nigerian lawyers to bear this sense of unity in mind as we commence a new journey together,” he said.

According to him, this was the reason an Electoral Audit and Reforms Committee headed by Ayo Akintunde, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has been immediately constituted to audit the 2016, 2018 and 2020 elections and to also recommend reforms for the association’s electoral systems and processes.

“For me, two things stand out. The first is the need to audit the election that led to our emergence, but which was also characterised by certain glitches that should not be associated with a foremost professional association like ours,” he said.

Speaking about the division, a member of the NBA, Oliver Omoredia, said he was appalled at the recent unnecessary attention the media is giving to the formation of one unregistrable group purporting to ‘divide’ the NBA.

“It is sad that even as lawyers, tribalism holds a premium place in our decision-making considerations! Let me just say that lawyers have a right to associate for the promotion of a common interest. The right to freedom of association is a constitutional right and lawyers can associate along ethnic, religious, practice area, status, age, beauty, or any other lines! However, none of these associations will displace, divide or dis-empower the NBA as the professional regulatory body,” Omoredia said.

“The attention given to the notion that the associations springing up would divide the NBA is highly misplaced because they cannot! Statements by the unknown and unregistered groups are of no moment in changing this!” he said.

Also speaking about the issue of division in the bar, a senior advocate of Nigeria, Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, said the bar cannot be divided as every lawyer in Nigeria was “called” to the bar and has no power or powers to divide it.

“They may attempt to divide the association, but the bar cannot be divided,” he said.

He therefore called on the new NBA president to do all he can to ensure an all-inclusive bar so as to stop these divisions.

Another member of the NBA Abuja branch, when asked about the situation, said the bar has to look beyond what’s happening at the moment.

“I really do not understand why a group of people have taken this as a regional conflict when it’s not. Forming another association when there’s a disagreement shows how deeply some politicians are bankrolling the affairs of lawyers. My loyalty is to the bar, not to any individual. The bar is above all persons and interests,” the lawyer said.

BusinessDay recalls that following the withdrawal of the invitation extended by the bar to the Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, some lawyers had alleged discrimination against the governor.

Two Kaduna-based lawyers, Nuhu Ibrahim and Abdulbasit Suleiman, who described themselves as Convener 1 and 2, last week announced that they and others of like minds had formed New Nigerian Bar Association (NNBA).

In a statement released on social media, the lawyers said that members of the New Nigerian Bar Association felt that their interests were no longer taken into consideration in major decisions of the NBA, hence the formation of the new association.

However, during his inaugural address to members, the new NBA president had outlined his policy direction for the next two years, assuring members of his administration’s vision to fulfill promises made during the electioneering period and ensuring that the bar stayed united.