Ahead of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, annual conference slated for Port Harcourt, Rivers State in August and as tension mounts over its planned national elections, the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, BOSAN, has directed the NBA President, Mr. Augustine Alegeh, SAN to convene a meeting of past NBA presidents and Bar leaders to resolve the crisis bedevilling the planned elections.

BOSAN made the call following a resolution by the body at its meeting held at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos.

 In the letter dated July 11, 2016 and addressed to the NBA President, former NBA President, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN informed Alegeh of the decision of the body, saying that “at the last meeting of the BOSAN held at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos on July 9, 2016, it was also resolved that Mr. President should convoke a meeting of past Presidents/Bar Leaders on the same subject, and that a level-playing field be afforded every candidate in the forthcoming elections.”

According to Vanguard, There are strong fears that the elections may be marred by partisanship by the NBA leadership, a position canvassed by one of the presidential candidates, Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama, SAN.

In a letter to the NBA President by the J-K Gadzama Campaign Organisation dated June 24, 2016 by its Director-General, Alhaji Garba Gajam, the campaign outfit had accused Alegeh of working to ensure that a particular candidate “emerges by all means.”

It further told Alegeh that “No President in the history of the NBA has openly showed support for any presidential candidate in the manner that you are now doing.”

Tracing an earlier exchange of letters between him and the NBA President, Olanipekun stated, “As earlier advised in my letter of June 30, 2016, I want to plead with you, Mr. President to allow a level-playing field for all candidates in the forth-coming elections.”

Recounting his personal experience where his name was omitted from the voters register, Olanipekun, said: “While appreciating the fact that my name has now been uploaded in the voters register after my complaint in my letter under reference, I see no reason why the name of any legal practitioner who is up to date in the payment of his national and branch dues should be missing on the voters register.”