Abuja, Nigeria – September 3, 2024
Dr. Chinedu Oburu, a member of the Nigerian Law Society, has sharply criticized the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), claiming the organization has lost its core values and no longer serves a meaningful purpose in modern Nigeria.
In a statement on Sunday, Oburu, who graduated with the Class of 2004, raised concerns about the rising financial costs associated with leadership elections in the NBA, suggesting that these undermine the professional body’s integrity.
“We need more than one law society. The NBA has lost its fiber and serves no meaningful purpose in present-day Nigeria. When you need tens or hundreds of millions of Naira to contest an election as president of a professional association, then the purpose is not clear,” Oburu said.
Nigerian Bar Association Has Lost Its Fiber, Says Dr. Chinedu Oburu
This statement follows the conclusion of the 2024 NBA elections in which Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Afam Osigwe was elected as the new president, securing 20,435 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Tobenna Erojikwe, who garnered 10,998 votes.
Additionally, in August, human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), representing the Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), urged the NBA to safeguard Nigerians’ rights to protest. Falana appealed for the NBA’s leadership to take an active role in preventing the prolonged detention of protesters through judicial oversight and regular visits to detention centers.
Dr. Chinedu Oburu Questions NBA’s Purpose Amid High Election Costs
Falana called for NBA members, particularly those on the Human Rights Committee, to join Chief Magistrates on monthly inspections of police stations, ensuring that unlawful detentions are addressed. He also stressed the importance of regular visits by the NBA leadership to correctional centers in line with the Nigerian Correctional Service Act of 2019.
