As a concerned member of the Nigerian Bar, I find it necessary to address the narratives currently circulating around the recent NEC meeting and the controversy surrounding branded campaign or publicity items, however one chooses to describe them.
While public scrutiny of leadership and electoral processes is both healthy and necessary, it becomes counterproductive when it degenerates into selective outrage, distorted reporting, and misleading insinuations.
The attempt to portray the NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, as conferring an unfair advantage on any aspirant solely on the basis of the presence of branded items at a NEC meeting in Maiduguri is unfair and deeply disingenuous.
Even more troubling is the deliberate omission of context and historical facts in such narratives, which only serves to mislead members of the Bar and inflame unnecessary tension.
Let us be honest with ourselves as a profession. Campaign branding and the distribution of materials did not begin with this election cycle, nor did it originate with any single candidate.
At the very first NEC meeting under the current NBA administration in Enugu, Mr. Muyiwa Akinboro, SAN, openly distributed bags branded with his name to NEC members. Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, has also been seen distributing souvenirs to NEC members.
Likewise, Mr. Yemi Akangbe, SAN, along with other aspirants, have undertaken campaign expenditures aimed at visibility and goodwill. These are not allegations; they are facts that are widely known within the Bar.
Beyond NEC meetings, we recall that at the 2025 NBA Annual General Conference held in Enugu, aspirants across the board were visibly involved in heavy campaign spending.
From hosting elaborate social events to setting up flamboyant exhibition stands adorned with large banners and expensive branding materials, the culture of high-cost visibility was unmistakable.
These activities were not limited to any one of our colleagues aspiring to lead the Bar; they were part of a broader trend that has gradually normalised excessive spending as a tool for electoral relevance within the profession.
To single out one candidate or insinuate presidential bias while remaining silent about similar conduct by other aspirants is therefore not advocacy for fairness. It is selective storytelling.
If the concern truly is about the integrity of the NBA electoral process, then such concern must be applied evenly, honestly, and without hidden agendas.
More importantly, this moment calls for deeper introspection. The real issue is not who branded water, bags, jotters, or banners. The real issue is why monetisation has become such a central feature of NBA elections in the first place.
This was, in fact, the core concern raised by the NBA President at the said NEC meeting. It is therefore disappointing to see commentaries that completely miss, or deliberately distort, the substance of that intervention.
We must acknowledge a commendable step taken by the current NBA leadership led by Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN. The successful amendment of the NBA Constitution to strengthen provisions aimed at curbing the monetisation of NBA elections is a bold and necessary intervention.
It reflects an understanding that the problem is systemic and must be addressed structurally, not merely through moral appeals. If properly implemented, these reforms will go a long way in restoring confidence in the electoral process and shifting focus back to ideas, competence, and service.
The growing culture of monetised campaigns diminishes the dignity of the Bar. It shifts attention away from ideas, policy, competence, and vision, and risks turning NBA elections into contests of financial stamina rather than service, integrity, and leadership capacity.
Having taken this commendable constitutional step, the next critical task lies with the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA).
Constitutional provisions, no matter how well drafted, only achieve their purpose when they are matched with clear, enforceable, and transparent electoral guidelines.
It is therefore imperative for the ECNBA to swing decisively into action by issuing detailed guidelines that give practical effect to the provisions of Schedule Two, Part III of the Constitution.
These guidelines must clearly define prohibited conduct, set measurable compliance standards, outline monitoring mechanisms, and state unequivocal consequences for violations.
This is essential not only to deter misconduct, but to reassure members of the Bar that the rules will be applied fairly, consistently, and without fear or favour.
For clarity, and emphasis, the relevant provisions of Schedule Two, Part III of the NBA Constitution as amended at the NBA AGM on August 28, 2025, breach of which will lead to disqualification of an aspirant or candidate, are reproduced verbatim below:
- All Branches, Sections, and Fora are prohibited from soliciting contributions, donations or sponsorship from candidates seeking election into any national office during the election year. Branches, Section, or Forum officer officers are prohibited from soliciting funds from prospective aspirants in any election.
- Any Aspirant or Candidate who makes or publishes derogatory material against an opponent or who causes or permits derogatory material to be made against an opponent in any election of the Association shall be disqualified from participating in the election.
- Any aspirant or candidate who supplies false information about his qualification for any election shall be disqualified from participating in the election and shall be referred to the Disciplinary Committee for sanctions.
- d. Any form of donations and philanthropic gestures by candidates seeking election into any national office during the election year is hereby prohibited, and any candidate who contravenes this provision shall be disqualified from being voted for in the election.
- e. Any form of financial inducement including paying annual practising fees or branch dues for lawyers to curry favour from voters or for any reason whatsoever by candidates and their supporters in the election year is hereby prohibited, and any candidate who contravenes this provision shall be disqualified from being voted for in the election, PROVIDED that any such payment of Bar Practising Fees and branch dues by the candidate for lawyers who are in his/her direct employment shall not be construed as financial inducement.
- f. No Branch, Section, or Forum of the Association shall invite prospective aspirants or candidates to sponsor their event or programmes in any election year.
- g. Any Branch, Section, or Forum officer or member who invites prospective aspirants or candidates to sponsor their event or programmes in any election year in the Association shall be deemed to be guilty of professional misconduct and shall be referred to the Disciplinary Committee for appropriate sanctions.
The ECNBA shall provide a standardised virtual platform for candidates to engage members across the country.
No Branch, Section, or Forum of the Association shall endorse any prospective aspirant or candidate for any elective position in the Association. Any Branch, Section, or Forum officer or member who endorses or caused to be endorsed any prospective aspirants or candidates for any elective position in the Association shall be deemed to be guilty of professional misconduct and shall be referred to the Disciplinary Committee for appropriate sanctions.
These provisions are clear. They are unambiguous. They are binding. The responsibility now lies not only on aspirants to comply, but on the ECNBA to enforce.
A sanitised electoral process cannot be achieved by good intentions alone; it requires vigilance, clarity, and firmness from the body charged with oversight.
This is therefore a respectful but firm call to all colleagues aspiring to lead the Bar: Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya, SAN; Mr. Muyiwa Akinboro, SAN; Mr. Yemi Akangbe, SAN; and indeed any other aspirant seeking leadership of our Association.
The Nigerian Bar Association deserves an issue-based campaign anchored on clear and practical positions regarding the welfare of lawyers, especially young practitioners; access to justice; judicial independence; continuing legal education; regulation of legal practice; and the future relevance of the NBA in national discourse.
The Bar must not be reduced to a marketplace where influence is measured by souvenirs, handouts, parties, or material inducements.
Leadership of the NBA should be earned through ideas, integrity, consistency, and service, not optics and monetisation.
Finally, we must resist the temptation to weaponise every incident to score political points. The NBA is bigger than any candidate, bigger than any group, and bigger than any election cycle.
Those who genuinely aspire to lead it must first demonstrate restraint, fairness, and a sincere commitment to protecting the image and integrity of the Association, even when doing so does not immediately advance personal ambition.
This election should be a contest of vision, not vending.
The time has come for all aspirants to truly raise the Bar.
Kenechukwu Agwu,
Abuja Lawyer
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