Rights lawyer claims move is aimed at frustrating NBA poll; raises fresh concerns over independence of the Bar
The controversy surrounding the Nigerian Bar Association’s 2026 national officers’ election took a dramatic turn on Thurday after prominent human rights lawyer and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, alleged that the Managing Director of the Association’s electronic voting service provider had been detained by persons he described as suspected operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a series of posts on his verified X account, Odinkalu claimed that the official was intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while travelling to Abuja ahead of the NBA’s electronic election.
According to him, the unidentified official’s laptop and mobile phones were also confiscated.
Odinkalu alleged that the action was orchestrated by interests sympathetic to “a certain candidate” in the fiercely contested NBA presidential election, adding that the objective was to frustrate the electoral process after previous attempts to halt the exercise through legal and administrative channels had failed.
“Persons suspected to be agents of the DSS have reportedly abducted the MD of the Service Provider for the NBA at the MMIA airport in Lagos on his way to Abuja,” Odinkalu wrote.
He further questioned what he described as an apparent contradiction, noting that the DSS had reportedly informed the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) that it would observe the electronic voting process and ballot collation.
“It is difficult to see how they can both disable ballot administration and observe balloting at the same time,” he stated.
Odinkalu alleged that the development formed part of a wider effort to frustrate the conduct of the election and impose outcomes outside the NBA’s constitutional framework.
His allegations could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report. Neither the DSS nor the ECNBA had publicly responded to the claims, while the identity of the electronic voting service provider official allegedly involved had not been officially confirmed.
The allegations come against the backdrop of weeks of intense controversy over the NBA election, which has become one of the most closely watched contests in the Association’s recent history.
The election has been overshadowed by disputes over zoning, voter eligibility, and the role of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), whose reported recommendations that the exercise be postponed generated strong opposition from sections of the legal profession.
The NBA rejected attempts to alter its electoral timetable, insisting that only its constitutional organs possess the authority to determine the conduct of its elections and reaffirming its commitment to proceed with the poll.
Odinkalu has been one of the most vocal critics of what he describes as attempts to undermine the independence of the Bar. In a recent opinion article, he warned that proposals surrounding the election could weaken the Association’s institutional autonomy and revive concerns about external interference in the affairs of the country’s largest professional body.
The ECNBA had earlier announced the appointment of Mikrodigital Connect as the electronic voting service provider after what it described as a competitive procurement process involving multiple bidders. The company was mandated to develop and supervise the secure electronic platform for the conduct of the 2026 election, while a separate firm was appointed as Data Protection Officer to oversee compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act.
As lawyers across the country prepared to vote electronically, the latest allegations introduced a fresh layer of uncertainty into an election already marked by legal disputes and institutional tensions.
Whether the claims made by Odinkalu are substantiated—and whether they have any impact on the conduct of the election—may become clearer as the ECNBA, the DSS and other relevant authorities respond.
For now, the allegations have intensified the spotlight on an election that many senior lawyers regard as a defining test of the Nigerian Bar Association’s institutional independence.
