The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has withdrawn its invitation to Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, following protests from some lawyers.
The NBA disclosed this in a tweet on Thursday via its Twitter handle @NigBarAssoc.
According to the tweet, “The National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association at its ongoing meeting resolves that the invitation to the Kaduna State Governor, H.E. Nasir El-Rufai, by the 2020 Annual General Conference Planning committee be withdrawn and decision communicated to the Governor.”
A petition to stop the governor from attending the Annual General Conference of the NBA was started by a lawyer, Usani Odum. The petition had recorded over 3,150 signatures on Change.Org as at 4p.m on Thursday.
Some of the lawyers had insisted that the governor must not be allowed to speak at the conference. This was contained in a letter titled, ‘Request to Withdraw the Offer of Platform at the 2020 Annual General Conference of the NBA to Mallam Nasir el-Rufai,’ and addressed to the Chairman of the Technical Committee on Conference Planning NBA, Prof. Koyinsola Ajayi.
The letter was signed by Silas Onu and Auta Nyada and listed 10 allegations against el-Rufai and his son, Bello, who is a Special Adviser to Kaduna Central Lawmaker, Senator Uba Sani.
The aggrieved lawyer faulted the NBA for inviting the Kaduna State Governor, citing his alleged poor human rights record and his inability to stop the killings in his state, particularly southern Kaduna.
Also, the lawyers also cited some controversial utterances of the governor. Some of which included a threat during the run-up to the general elections in 2019, where the governor said any foreigner that interfered in the poll would leave Nigerian in body bags.
The NBA virtual conference, which is scheduled to hols from August 24-24, 2020, will have Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) in attendance.
Others expected speakers at the event included former Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, Governor Wike of Rivers State and a former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili.
The theme of the conference is: ‘Am I a Nigerian – A Debate on National Identity, the Indigeneship-Citizenship Conundrum.’
