By Innocent Anaba
Nigerian lawyers have raised concerns over the recent annulment of the Nigerian Bar Association’s Section on Public Interest and Development Law, NBA-SPIDEL, electoral process, warning that the development could cast a shadow over preparations for the 2026 NBA general election.
In a statement, the Egbe Amofin Oodua (Yoruba Lawyers’ Forum) described the cancellation of the SPIDEL election as a “dangerous signal” for internal democracy within the NBA.
It alleged that the decision to halt the process was taken unilaterally by the NBA President, and resulted in the appointment of a caretaker committee to oversee the affairs of SPIDEL for the next two years.
According to Egbe Amofin Oodua, the SPIDEL election was already at an advanced stage, with some candidates reportedly emerging unopposed, before it was annulled.
The group cited public allegations made by one of the affected candidates, Dr. Anne Agi, regarding how the process was brought to an end during the SPIDEL Annual General Conference in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The Forum likened the development to the annulment of Nigeria’s June 12, 1993, presidential election, arguing that the move undermines democratic norms within an association that has often positioned itself as a national voice on due process and the rule of law.
Egbe Amofin Oodua further expressed concern over what it described as growing partisanship ahead of the 2026 NBA elections, alleging that the current leadership could no longer be trusted to supervise a credible electoral process. It claimed that the composition of the NBA’s 2026 Electoral Committee raises serious questions about neutrality and fairness.
In response to the controversy, the Forum rejected the NBA’s rejoinder to the allegations made by Dr. Agi, arguing that the response neither denied the substance of the claims nor demonstrated that the annulment was based on any formal complaints from aggrieved stakeholders.
Egbe Amofin Oodua, therefore, called for the dissolution of the current NBA 2026 Electoral Committee and urged past NBA presidents and trustees to intervene to safeguard the integrity of the forthcoming elections.
The group warned that any attempt to manipulate the 2026 process would be resisted, describing the election year as a defining moment in the history of the NBA.
The Forum also expressed solidarity with Dr. Agi, Bridget Udokwe, and Barbara Onwubiko, praising them for what it described as their courage in speaking out, and pledged continued support in resisting what it termed undemocratic practices within the association.
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