By Kayode Adeoti
The much anticipated election of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ilorin branch will hold Wednesday, 13th June, 2018.
On this backdrop, the electoral body of the association has adopted electronic voting (e-voting) system to decide who succeeds the present administration led by Issa Manzuma.
It was gathered that in the history of Ilorin NBA, the forthcoming election will the first that will conducted electronically.
The Chairman of the electoral committee, Tosho Yaqub in a chat with Pilot Law recently confirmed the development saying it is designed to make the exercise stress free and to ensure the participation of the eligible voters.
“We are doing e-voting. The election will be done through electronics and we’ve demonstrated how it is going to work for our members.
“NBA has a website, and there will be a link on it through which 177 eligible members of the bar will cast their votes. The website will be opened by 12pm, and because of some unforeseen difficulty individuals might encounter, we will close it by 5pm.
“On the eve of the election, we will have our manifestos, it will start by 2pm,” Yaqub said.
Meanwhile, despite the ban on the electioneering campaign, the aspirants for the various positions in the NBA have intensified efforts through various forms of lobbying to sell their candidatures.
One of the aspirants in the forthcoming NBA poll who spoke anonymously to this medium on the issue yesterday stressed that it is forbidden for any of them to go on social media to canvass for vote saying such can only be done through the official NBA website.
According to him, anyone caught campaigning may have to sacrifice his or her political ambition for it.
Since the race has started, the jostling for the chairmanship seat has remained between the Senior State Counsel from the Kwara State Ministry of Justice, Muhammad Idowu Akande and an associate professor of law, University of Ilorin, Dr. Abdulkadir Abikan.
Speaking on the alleged faction that existed in the administration of the past executive, Taye Oniyide noted the issue of faction is less pronounced in the current government of the association.
“…It is right to say that the approach of lawyers to issues in this present administration is different from the previous one, there is aura of more maturity, better understanding from lawyers, appreciation of issues and these are coming from the individuals who want to occupy these public offices.
“I must also commend the incumbent government who has helped to stabilised things and also the electoral body. They’re the factors in place who have given the so called faction the new look. I’m certain, against what we had in the last election, we’re going to have a peaceful and rancour free exercise,” Oniyide submitted.
The NBA chairman in his reaction to the issue submitted that he belongs to no faction nor does he have any anointed or preferred candidate he is fielding for succession.
“The issue of faction is not welcomed in my government, also, I don’t have a preferred candidate, everyone is my candidate. What I only pant after is, who will take the NBA, Ilorin branch to greater heights,” he said.
