Buhari seeks ‘healthy working relationship’ with new NBA president, Maikyau

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on the successful conclusion of its elections, as he also felicitated with Mr Yakubu Maikyau, the new leader of the legal practitioners’ body.

President Buhari’s message, contained in a statement by his media aide, Malam Shehu Garba, congratulated Maikyau for ‘emerging the 31st President of the highly revered association, which has over the years played a major role in democratic and economic development of the country, with advocacy, counselling and partnership with governments.’

“The President salutes the outgoing President of the NBA, Olumide Akpata, and all the national leaders who took the association to a higher level, particularly with building new partnerships and integration of technology.

“President Buhari looks forward to a healthy working relationship with the new national leaders of the NBA, believing the noble and patriotic antecedents of the legal body will be upheld, and further projected to the world,” the statement read.

The NBA, had, last weekend, elected a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Yakubu Maikyau, as its 31st President, in an election which was conducted virtually.

Chairman of the Electoral Committee who is also an SAN, Professor Ayodele Akintunde, made the declaration on Sunday in Abuja while announcing the result of the poll.

Maikyau who polled a total of 22, 342 votes to win the election, was followed closely by his fellow SAN, Joe-Kyari Gadzama who scored 10, 842 votes.

Mr Taidi Jonathan came third in the exercise with a total of 1,373 votes.

Following the declaration, Maikyau is expected to take over the leadership of the legal body from the outgoing NBA President, Olumide Akpata.

Other national officers elected are Mrs Linda Bala – 1st Vice President, Mr Clement Ugo – 2nd Vice President, and Mrs Amanda Demechi-Asagba – 3rd Vice President.

Also elected are Mr Adesina Adegbite – General Secretary, Mr Daniel Kip Ka-Ayli – Assistant General Secretary, Ms Chinyere Obasi – National Welfare Secretary, Mr Habeeb Lawal – National Publicity Secretary, Mr Olawole Ajiboye – Assistant Publicity Secretary, and Anze-Bishop Ladidi – Treasurer.

20 lawyers were equally elected as members of the NBA General Council to represent the Western, Eastern, and Northern zones.

Announcing the election results, Professor Akintunde disclosed that the records of 59,388 out of a total of 59, 392 eligible voters on the NBA database were cleared to vote.

He added that while 1,346 emails that were sent out to some of the eligible voters bounced back, 34,809 lawyers, representing 58.61 per cent of the membership strength of the association participated in the election that was conducted electronically.

The SAN stated that some of the common complaints the Electoral Committee Secretariat received included the inability of some lawyers to correctly input their Supreme Court Number (SCN) as instructed, wrong/invalid contact information, no voting links, as well as multiple email reminders.

In his acceptance speech, the NBA president-elect urged all those who contested the election and lost to join his team to make the association better.

He also advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to come to understudy the technology-driven electoral system of the NBA to conduct free and fair elections in 2023.

Maikyau promised that his administration would be transparent, promote the rule of law, and protect human rights in the country.

Akpata, whose tenure expires on August 26, on his part, said the NBA has mandated its Public Interest Litigation Committee to approach the INEC to verify an allegation that it allowed the substitution of names of candidates that did not participate in the primary election of their political parties and take it up from there.