THE immediate President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Paul Usoro SAN has stated that Deacon Dele Adesina, SAN has accepted the outcome of the 2020 NBA National Officers’ Elections.
The former NBA President disclosed this at the concluded NBA Virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on 28th day of August, 2020.
Meanwhile, he noted that the concluded election was a very transparent process.
“Whatever one may say about this election, one thing that can not be taken away from it is that that was the first-ever of our national election where everyone was turned in to election monitors as well as electoral and returning officers all rolled into one, from the comfort of our homes, using our various devices and tracking the ballot right from the first vote up to the last.
“From most of our members and based on the comment that I have received, this was an exhilarating experience in transparency and it was fun. The transparency was unparalleled and we are expecting that subsequent bye-elections would build on that quality of transparency.” He said.
However, he noted that Dele Adesina, SAN has accepted the outcome of the polls, according to a report he received.
“Now, I need to say something about that election and the result of that election and what I need to say in particular is, I have read some recent reports where I learnt that our colleague, my brother, my friend, has accepted the result of that election and I am referring to Deacon Dele Adesina.
“Incidentally, I have not spoken with him but I do believe those reports and I want to thank him for that magnanimity. I do intend to speak with him and indeed to congratulate him. Because it takes a real spirit of wanting to build one’s Association to come to that conclusion in a contentious environment like we have. I am expecting and hoping that that report is correct and I have no reason to doubt him. I was also told that a representative of his, indicated that they would not be going to Court. That for me will be a very welcome development and I thank him very much.” He said.
“The election may not have been perfect but that election was a serious improvement on the previous elections that we have had and we can only continue to build on that platform. And by the grace of God, we will continue to improve and we would keep making progress and we would be even much better as the years go by.
“I have already said that there is room for everyone as far as the Bar is concerned and in any case, for somebody like my brother, Deacon Dele Adesina, he has served the Bar, he continues to serve the Bar, his place is assured, he is a life member. Nobody could take that place from him. He would continue to be an asset, even for this administration and when I have a moment to discuss with the President…Olumide Akpata, I definitively would also remind him that as our people say, wisdom is contributory and he has to reach out to the different people, including those who contested election against him and the same applies to all our other officers. We have to reach out, we have to bring those people in, we have to make them a part of our collective.”
However, he emphatically stated that the NBA remains an indissoluble Bar and that efforts to create parallel Associations to the NBA are actions of the detractors.
“The nature of the Nigerian Bar as one indivisible hold. In recent times, I have heard comments that have suggested that some of our people may be looking at different alternatives.
“I think we are like SAP, for those who are old enough to know what SAP means. SAP was that Structural Adjustment Programme that was there in the days of General Babangida and for those who are old enough, the scene then was that there was no alternative to SAP. Well, a lot of people contested that and said there was an alternative to SAP.
“In our own case, we are saying there is no alternative to a united, indivisible Bar. We are stronger together and whatever grievance or challenges we might have, we have to settle it in-house.
“There is no room for anybody to break away. I do not take those other reports that I saw flooding the media yesterday seriously, the one that talked about New Nigerian Bar, I am convinced that those are the handiwork of our detractors who wish to distract us and who wish to plant confusion amongst us.
“We must not allow them to. We must remain one united and indivisible Bar. That is the only way that we can improve our lots, that is the only way we can influence whatever happens, whether it is in government or it is in judiciary, that it is the only way we can protect and promote the rule of law and by the way, as a priest in that temple of the rule of law, we must remember that the rule of law has no religion, the rule of law has no ethnic group, the rule of law does not have social class.
“The rule of law is for everyone and if we must be true priest at that temple, then we must avoid having to make our judgement, our decisions, our comments as far as the affairs of the NBA is concerned based on religious considerations, based on ethnic considerations, based on class distinctions, based on political defines, based on those things that divide the outside world, we must not bring those things into the house. We must keep them outside. We must remain one indivisible Nigerian Bar Association.” He said.
