NBA Abuja Branch Elections: Electoral Committee Invites Nominations From Candidates, Releases Guidelines

The Electoral Committee of the Abuja Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (Unity Bar) has sent out a notice of nomination of candidates for the various offices of the Branch Executive Committee.

In a statement signed by Messers Olatunji Salawu and Anthony Idoko, the Chairman and Secretary of the Electoral Committee respectively, and made available to The Metro Lawyer (TML) newsdesk, the offices to be contested for by eligible candidates and other guidelines for the elections were set out by the committee.

The nomination form for candidates can be downloaded HERE

The full statement is outlined below…

ELECTORAL COMMITTEE OF THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION, ABUJA BRANCH (UNITY BAR)

2022 ELECTION OF OFFICERS OF THE ABUJA BRANCH (UNITY BAR) OF THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION.
REF: EC/UB/ABJ/2022/ -01

INVITATION TO NOMINATIONS OF CANDIDATES FOR THE BRANCH OFFICES (BRANCH EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE) PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 6, 9 (2), 14 AND 16 OF THE THIRD SCHEDULE (UNIFORM BYE-LAWS) OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION , 2015 (AS AMENDED IN 2021).

The Electoral Committee of the Abuja Branch (Unity Bar)of the Nigerian Bar Association appointed to conduct the Election of Officers of the Branch HEREBY invites nomination of Candidates for the various offices of the Branch Executive Committee.

1. DATE AND MODE OF THE ELECTION

The Election of Officers of the Branch shall be conducted on THURSDAY, 9TH DAY OF JUNE, 2021. The mode of the election shall be electronic voting (e-Voting).

2. OFFICES TO BE CONTESTED FOR BY ELIGIBLE MEMBERS OR CANDIDATES (SECTION 6, UNIFORM BYE-LAWS)

The offices for which eligible members or candidates may contest on the basis of qualifications for the offices listed at Section 14 (1) of the Uniform bye -Laws: as well as on the established Branch convention (customary) of rotation of certain offices by principle of Zoning among the three (3) geographical Zones as recognised under the NBA Constitution, are:

Provided that no member of the Branch shall occupy the same office for more than two (2) years (one term); and any member who has held elective offices as a Branch Officer for two (2) terms shall not be eligible to contest for a Branch Office until at least five (5) years after his /her last term of office.

3. NOMINATIONS

A candidate for any elective Office of the Branch shall be nominated or proposed in writing by a member and seconded by another, both of whom shall be qualified like the candidate in accordance with the provisions of the Uniform Bye Law (Third Schedule of the NBA Constitution) for the equivalent office, and shall have paid their Bar Practising Fees and Branch Dues as and when due for three (3) consecutive years inclusive of year 2022, as stipulated in Section 9 (3) (a) of the Constitution.

4. NOMINATION FORMS

Nomination Forms for election of Officers of the Abuja Branch (Unity Bar) of the Nigerian Bar Association, shall be available for collection at the Office of the Chairman, Electoral Committee at No. 3A, CHINGOLA STREET, OFF MBABANE STREET, WUSE ZONE 6, FCT, ABUJA, from 8.00am on MONDAY, 11TH APRIL, 2022, upon payment of fees as stated in the Election and Campaign Guidelines.

Submission of completed Nomination Forms and accompanying documents shall CLOSE at 4.00pm on FRIDAY, 6TH MAY, 2022.

All duly completed Nomination Forms should be submitted physically in sealed envelopes clearly marked “UNITY BAR ELECTION 2022”, and addressed to:

The Chairman
Electoral Committee of the NBA Abuja Branch (Unity Bar)
3A, Chingola Street, Off Mbabane Street,
Wuse Zone 6, FCT
Abuja.

NB: Any unsealed envelope will be rejected; and once submitted, the Forms cannot be retrieved.

2022 ELECTION AND CAMPAIGN GUIDELINES

A. NOMINATION FORM FEES

Each aspiring Candidate for the Branch Offices shall pay a non- refundable Nomination Form fees prescribed for the offices as follows:

i) Chairman – N100, 000. 00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira Only)
ii) Vice -Chairman and Secretary – N75, 000. 00 (Seventy-Five Thousand Naira Only)
iii) Treasurer and Financial Secretary – N50, 000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira).
iv) Social Secretary, Publicity Secretary, Welfare Secretary, Provost and Assistant Secretary – N25, 000.00 (Twenty-Five Thousand Naira Only).

NB: Payments to be made into the Branch Account details:

ACCOUNT NAME: NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION ABUJA BRANCH (UNITY BAR)
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 0772753960
BANK: ACCESS.
DESCRIPTION: 2022 ELECTION NOMINATION FORM FEE

Copy of the Bank payment teller/receipt shall be submitted to Electoral Committee to collect the nomination forms

B. ELIGIBILITY TO STAND FOR ELECTION INTO AN OFFICE (SECTION 14 OF THE UNIFORM BYE-LAWS)

To be eligible to stand for election into an office, a member shall:

a) Be validly nominated in writing by two (2) members who are eligible to vote and who must themselves be qualified for the particular office as provided by the Bye-Law.

b) Have attended a minimum of five (5) monthly meetings of the Branch within the twelve (12) months prior to the close of nominations for the election.

c) Attain the post- enrolment qualification requirement for the affected office as at the date of the election.

d) Be a financial member of the Branch and shall have paid his/her bar practising fees and annual branch dues as and when due for three (3) years preceding the election, inclusive of the year of election.

e) No member of the Branch shall occupy the same office for more than two (2) years (one term); and any member who has held elective offices as a Branch Officer for two (2) terms shall not be eligible to contest for a Branch Office until at least five (5) years after his /her last term of office.

C. CAMPAIGNS

a) Candidates shall submit by e-mail not more than four(4) pages of A4 – size electronic copy of their curriculum vitae, comprehensive manifestoes and other campaign materials to the Electoral Committee for publication in the Branch website or electronic platform(s), not later than FRIDAY, 13TH MAY, 2022. [Email: electoralcommittee@nbaunitybar.org]

b) The publication, printing or distribution of any campaign material, gifts and any form of souvenir whatsoever by a candidate or his/her supporter(s) is HEREBY PROHIBITED and any candidate who contravenes this provision shall be disqualified from being voted for.

c) Every campaign activities by candidates or their supporters must ceased by 00.00 hours of the day of election, that is, 12 midnight on the eve of the election.

D. ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE (SECTION 15, UNIFORM BYE-LAWS)

1. To be eligible to vote, a member shall be a financial member of the Branch and shall have paid his/her bar practising fees and annual branch dues , as and when due, for two (2) years preceding the election or since enrolment, if less than two (2) years post-call and shall have attended a minimum of five (5) monthly general meetings of the Branch within twelve (12) months preceding the election.

2. The member’s name must appear in the final list of eligible voters as compiled by the Electoral Committee and published not later than fourteen (14) days before the date of the election.

DATED AT ABUJA THIS 21ST DAY OF MARCH, 2022.

OLATUNJI SALAWU, ESQ. ANTHONY IDOKO, ESQ
Chairman, Electoral Committee Secretary, Electoral Committee