Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Afam Osigwe, has dismissed allegations that the association’s election was rigged, describing the claims as politically motivated and unsupported by evidence.
Speaking to journalists on Friday ahead of the commencement of voting, Osigwe criticised lawyers and candidates who alleged that the election had been manipulated before the process had even begun, saying such accusations were irresponsible and lacked factual basis.
He expressed disappointment that members of the legal profession were making allegations they could not substantiate, noting that similar claims in previous NBA elections had failed to stand up in court.
According to him, lawyers, as officers of the court, have a duty to uphold truth and evidence rather than make reckless allegations capable of undermining confidence in the association’s electoral process.
Osigwe maintained that the claims were driven by politics rather than facts, warning that repeated, unsubstantiated accusations could unfairly damage the reputation of the NBA and erode public trust in its elections.
He reiterated that he had never participated in or supported any form of election manipulation and reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring a transparent, credible and impartial electoral process.
Responding to allegations that he favoured a particular presidential candidate, Osigwe said the NBA Electoral Committee operates independently and does not receive directives from his office.
To further demonstrate his neutrality, he disclosed that he would abstain from voting in the election, despite being eligible to cast a ballot.
He urged lawyers to focus on the issues affecting the legal profession and the programmes of the candidates rather than engaging in baseless accusations that could discredit the association.
To strengthen confidence in the process, Osigwe said the NBA invited the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), as well as international technical experts, to independently assess and monitor its electronic voting system.
He said it was contradictory for those alleging plans to rig the election to oppose independent scrutiny of the voting platform, insisting that the association had nothing to hide.
Osigwe also disclosed that the managing director of one of the NBA’s election technology providers, who had earlier been detained by the DSS, had been released. He added that although a laptop containing election-related data was seized during the arrest, safeguards had been put in place to ensure the integrity of the voting process remained intact if the information had been accessed.
On calls to introduce National Identification Number (NIN) verification for voting, Osigwe said the proposal was rejected because discrepancies between names on the National Identity Management Commission database and the Supreme Court roll, particularly involving married women, could disenfranchise eligible voters.
He added that, instead, the NBA approved the use of SMS-based one-time passwords in place of email verification, following requests from some candidates, despite the significant additional cost involved.
