The newly sworn-in President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata, has kicked against the move by Nigerian northern lawyers to form a parallel association.
Some Nigerian lawyers of Northern extraction on Friday, had formed the ‘New NBA’, following the recent controversial withdrawal of the invitation to the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, as a guest speaker at the association’s conference.
The new group in a statement by two lawyers, Nuhu Ibrahim (Convener 1) and Abdulbasit Suleiman (Convener 2), explained that the ‘New NBA’ was meant to protect their interests as enshrined under section 40 of the constitution.
However, the NBA President in his inaugural speech on Friday, described the move of the ‘New NBA’ within the association as unfortunate and call for unity.
Akpata said, “I am not unaware of very recent events and agitations that have tended to divide our Bar along regional and religious lines. This is rather unfortunate for an egalitarian Association like ours.
“The Bar that I want to lead, henceforth, is one that is united on all fronts and that recognises that our diversity is, perhaps, our greatest strength. I plead with all Nigerian lawyers to bear this philosophy of unity in mind as we commence a new journey together today.”
