THE crisis rocking the South West caucus of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Egbe Amo Ofin, over the NBA presidency worsened yesterday, as the group held parallel meetings in Lagos and Ibadan, Oyo State concurrently.
The meetings were in furtherance of the groups’ effort to produce the next president of the NBA, to take over from Mr. Okey Wali (SAN) who will complete his two-year tenure August 31, 2014.
Top contenders for the position are Mrs. Funke Adekoya (SAN); Deacon Dele Adesina (SAN), Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN) and Osas Erhabor.
Another aspirant who is not from the core South West but is in the race is Chief Austine Alegeh (SAN) of the Mid West zone.
It was gathered that the Ibadan meeting was held by removed executives of the group.
The Guardian learnt that while the Ibadan meeting was attended by five sitting chairmen, that of Lagos, which is sympathetic to Adesina’s candidature, was attended by 10 branch chairmen with other four represented by their secretaries.
Five other chairmen who could not attend the Lagos meeting were also said to have sent apologies.
It was also learnt that the Ibadan meeting ended without adopting any candidate. But a reconciliation committee was set up.
However, the Lagos gathering christened the Central Working Committee of Egbe Amo Ofin reinforced an earlier adoption of Adesina.
Chairman of Egbe Amo Ofin, Mr. Adebayo Ayodele, who addressed newsmen after the Lagos meeting, insisted that 17 branches out of 23 that make up the South West Bar in attendance were in support of the candidacy of Adesina.
He said: “We ordered Adesina in 2008 to step down for Chief Olarotimi Akeredolu (SAN). Two meetings were held in Lagos and one at Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN)’s place where it was agreed we would adopt Adesina when it is the turn of the South West.
“If in 2008, Adesina obeyed us, why must we not keep to our words since he listened to us the last time. We re-affirm our support for his aspiration and charge him to continue to exploit all legitimate and realistic ways to sell his candidature.”
The meetings were in furtherance of the groups’ effort to produce the next president of the NBA, to take over from Mr. Okey Wali (SAN) who will complete his two-year tenure August 31, 2014.
Top contenders for the position are Mrs. Funke Adekoya (SAN); Deacon Dele Adesina (SAN), Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN) and Osas Erhabor.
Another aspirant who is not from the core South West but is in the race is Chief Austine Alegeh (SAN) of the Mid West zone.
It was gathered that the Ibadan meeting was held by removed executives of the group.
The Guardian learnt that while the Ibadan meeting was attended by five sitting chairmen, that of Lagos, which is sympathetic to Adesina’s candidature, was attended by 10 branch chairmen with other four represented by their secretaries.
Five other chairmen who could not attend the Lagos meeting were also said to have sent apologies.
It was also learnt that the Ibadan meeting ended without adopting any candidate. But a reconciliation committee was set up.
However, the Lagos gathering christened the Central Working Committee of Egbe Amo Ofin reinforced an earlier adoption of Adesina.
Chairman of Egbe Amo Ofin, Mr. Adebayo Ayodele, who addressed newsmen after the Lagos meeting, insisted that 17 branches out of 23 that make up the South West Bar in attendance were in support of the candidacy of Adesina.
He said: “We ordered Adesina in 2008 to step down for Chief Olarotimi Akeredolu (SAN). Two meetings were held in Lagos and one at Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN)’s place where it was agreed we would adopt Adesina when it is the turn of the South West.
“If in 2008, Adesina obeyed us, why must we not keep to our words since he listened to us the last time. We re-affirm our support for his aspiration and charge him to continue to exploit all legitimate and realistic ways to sell his candidature.”
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