Retired Federal High Court Judge Taiwo Taiwo has publicly endorsed the use of the National Identification Number (NIN) to verify lawyers eligible to vote in the upcoming Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) elections, describing the measure as essential for improving transparency and restoring confidence in the electoral process. The election is scheduled to take place electronically on 20 July.
Background and Stance
Mr Taiwo, who served as the Second Vice President of the NBA before becoming a judge and retiring in 2022, expressed his stance in a statement on Monday amid raging controversies surrounding the association's election. His position echoes a call in a document that surfaced online in early July, purportedly containing the report of a sub-committee set up to resolve an aspect of the crisis related to the NBA elections and directives attributed to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi.
The document, which NBA President Afam Osigwe has rejected, recommended postponing the election, disbanding the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), appointing a caretaker committee, replacing the association's election service provider, introducing NIN verification for voters, and reviewing provisions of the NBA Constitution. The current NBA leadership has rejected the document in its entirety.
Foreseen Controversy
In his statement titled "Let the Truth Be Told! My Take on the Election Crisis That Is Ongoing in the NBA," Mr Taiwo stated that he had foreseen the controversy surrounding the association's electoral process and publicly warned about it during his valedictory court session in 2022. The retired jurist, who left the bench on 31 July 2022 and held his valedictory court session on 22 September that year, explained that he was "shocked but honestly not surprised" by the crisis currently facing the NBA.
"I am disturbed, to say the least, about the discordant tunes concerning the elections to offices in the NBA," said the former chairman of the Lagos branch of the NBA. According to him, concerns about the credibility of the NBA's electoral process have persisted for years, with previous elections ending in court disputes initiated by aggrieved members. "Many outside the inner circle of the 'powers' behind the scene cannot know what goes on. Persons have gone to court on NBA election outcomes in the past. Those who did know why they did," he stressed.
Call for Reforms
To support his position, Mr Taiwo reproduced portions of his valedictory speech delivered in September 2022, in which he called for sweeping reforms to the association's electoral system. "I belong to the NBA by reason of my profession. I want the best for the association, especially for it to evolve a democratic and transparent way in the election of its officers. I am of the firm view that the election of the President of the NBA ought to transcend a situation where the next President is known before a new one is sworn in," he said.
Mr Taiwo recalled that before the end of the tenure of then-NBA President Olumide Akpata, he had been informed that a particular individual would emerge as the association's next president, prompting him to question the credibility of the electoral process. "I asked myself how it was possible, knowing fully well that star-gazing or clairvoyance are not courses in law," he recalled.
Proposal for Electronic Voting from Branches
As part of his proposals, Mr Taiwo recommended that lawyers should cast their votes electronically from their respective NBA branches on election day, saying the arrangement would enhance transparency while preserving the integrity of electronic voting. "I want to propose that on election day, all those interested in voting will go to their various branches physically to vote electronically as being done by INEC. This will ensure transparency in the electoral process in the NBA," he stated.
He endorsed the use of NIN to verify lawyers eligible to vote, describing it as another measure capable of strengthening the credibility of the association's elections. "I therefore, flowing from this extract, support any move or actions to ensure transparency. This means I support the use of NIN by lawyers desirous of voting in the election," he said.
Background of Electronic Voting and Controversies
In 2015, the NBA constitution introduced electronic voting and universal suffrage for the first time, enabling all members of the association who meet the criteria to vote in the election of national officers. The new arrangement, put in place to guarantee the credibility and legitimacy of the association's elections, marked a break with the old system of voting by delegates at a designated venue. The new measures were first applied in the 2016 elections and have been used since then in every subsequent election cycle. However, despite that, every election conducted since then has been characterized by controversies.
The build-up to the 2026 election has been overshadowed by litigation, allegations of bias, and disagreements over the conduct of the ECNBA. The disputes prompted the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), to convene a stakeholders' meeting on 11 June in a bid to resolve the impasse. The controversy deepened in early July after a document circulated online, purportedly containing recommendations of an AGF-led mediation sub-committee. Among other proposals, the document recommended postponing the election, dissolving the ECNBA, appointing a caretaker committee, replacing the association's election service provider, introducing NIN verification for eligible voters, and reviewing aspects of the NBA Constitution.
NBA's Response and External Observers
The NBA, however, distanced itself from the document, insisting that only its National Executive Council (NEC) has the constitutional authority to postpone the election. It also maintained that the Legal Practitioners Act does not empower the attorney general to direct the affairs of the association, explaining that the mediation committee was established solely to facilitate discussions on the withdrawal of pending court cases. Amid the controversy, the association invited international and domestic election observers, including the European Union, the United States Embassy, the British High Commission, Yiaga Africa, and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), to monitor the 20 July electronic poll. It said the move reflects its commitment to conducting a transparent, credible, free, and fair election in line with international best practices.
Taiwo's Final Remarks
Mr Taiwo nevertheless maintained that the NBA, as the umbrella body of legal practitioners in Nigeria, should be able to conduct credible elections without relying on external observers. "We do not need any outsider to monitor the election of an association of legal practitioners," he added. Mr Taiwo, who served as the NBA's Second Vice President between 2014 and 2015 under the leadership of Austin Alegeh (SAN), while current NBA President Afam Osigwe (SAN) served as General Secretary, reaffirmed his commitment to the association. He said that apart from the NBA and a church-friendly society, he belonged to no other association or social club, adding that the legal profession places lawyers at the forefront of the fight against injustice and unfairness. Mr Taiwo expressed hope that the NBA would emerge stronger through transparent and democratic electoral reforms. "Long live the Nigerian Bar Association," he stated.
