On Saturday, 20 July 2024, members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) went to the polls to elect new national officers for the 2024-2026 term. The Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA) on Sunday, 21 July, 2024 announced that Mazi Afam Josiah Osigwe, SAN won the election with 20,435 votes. Tobenna Chigbo Erojikwe emerged as the 1st runner-up with 10,998 votes, and Chukwuka Nwabueze Ikwuazom, SAN garnered 9,018 votes to become the 2nd runner-up.
The first runner-up, Mr. Tobenna Erojikwe has however rejected the results of the election and called for an official audit of the election process.
In a statement issued in this regard, Erojikwe stated that he has reasonable believe that the electoral process and the election were not credible.
Erojikwe, who noted in his statement that he has since called Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN on his declaration by the ECNBA as the winner, expressed concerns about multiple breaches and irregularities in the electoral process. He highlighted issues such as discrepancies in vote tallies, questionable handling of live results, and reports of double-voting. Erojikwe emphasized the need for transparency and adherence to the NBA Constitution to restore faith in the association’s electoral process.
Erojikwe pointed out that the ECNBA failed to provide voting guidelines and a voters’ list within the timeframe stipulated by the NBA Constitution. The full list of eligible voters was only published four hours before the commencement of polls, contrary to the mandatory 45-day notice required.
Given these concerns, he has called for an official audit of the election results in accordance with the NBA Constitution.
Read the statement in full here Tobenna Erojikwe’s Statement on NBA Elections 2024
