Senior Advocate Drags NBA, Others to Court Over Alleged Election Malfeasance, Lack of Transparency
An Onitsha High Court sitting in Onitsha in the Onitsha Judicial Division Presided by Honourable Justice T. U. Oguji has adjourned a suit of alleged Election malfeasance and lack of Transparency brought against the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA) and two others to 24th October 2025 for further hearing.
In the suit no.0/193/2025 and dated July 24, 2025, the plaintiff, a legal luminary and Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN) Steven Onyechi Ononye is asking the court to determine:
1. Whether the Nigerian Bar Association a body governed by its constitution is
not bound to give effect to all the provisions of the said constitution where the said provisions do not infringe any statute or provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?
2. Whether the Nigerian Bar Association is not bound to be transparent and fair
in its conduct of its elections to elect officers of the body?
3. Whether by the combined provisions of Section 10 and Second Schedule part
II, Paragraphs l, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9 and 10 of the Nigerian Bar Association,s
Constitution, 2021, the Defendants, are not under an obligation to ensure that
all qualified candidates in the NBA election, including the office of the President, are allowed to appoint agents to monitor every stage of the electoral process, including in real time, the backend of the electronic voting system in fulfilment of its constitutional mandate?
4. Whether by the combined provisions of Section 10 and Second Schedule Part II, Paragraphs t, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7, 8,9 and 10 of the Nigerian Bar Association’s Constitution, 202t, the Defendants are not under obligation to provide a verifiable and auditable electronic voting system in fulfilment of its
constitutional mandate to be honest, truthful, fair and transparent in the
conduct of Elections?
The defendants in the suit are the Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association, the President of the body and Oluseun Abimbola who is the Electoral Committee chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association.
The plaintiff is seeking reliefs in the following:
A Declaration that by the provisions of Section 10 and Second Schedule
Part II, Paragraphs L, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 7, B, 9 and 10 of the Nigerian Bar
Association’s Constitution, 202L, the Defendants are bound to give effect to all provisions of its constitution in the interest of fairness and transparency on the conduct of its election.
A DECLARATION that by the provisions of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)
Constitution, 2021, all candidates in NBA elections are entitled to have their agents monitor every and all stages of the electoral process, including the virtual backend of the electronic voting system, which is also the virtual collation centre of the election in fulfilment of its constitutional mandate.
AN ORDER mandating the Defendants, by themselves or through their servants, agents, committee, appointees, or any other person by whatever
name called to implement a transparent voting system that allows for real-time monitoring of the NBA Election by the candidates or their agents at all stages of the election including but not limited to the backend of the electronic voting system in any future NBA elections in fulfilment of its constitutional mandate.
4. AN ORDER mandating the Defendants to adopt a verifiable and auditabte electronic voting system in fulfilment of its constitutional mandate in the interest of fairness and transparency.
And for Such Further Order(s) as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make under the facts and circumstances of this case.
