By Olayinka Abdurrazzaq
The rule of law and democracy has become the major features of any civilised society, without which anarchy and tyrant may delve in which can call for unrest and distruption of a nation.
In Nigeria, the problem of law is lesser than that of convention. It has gotten to the extent that law is no more in active where the convention is acting. The illustration is the exact of what is happening in Nigeria and it is really affecting the practice of democracy.
Convetion and Law are two different things. Convention should be passive where the law is active. But it is pathetic that the reverse is the case in the country of ours. The fear of not violating a non-enforceable convention has made us dust the face of law which its enforcement is beyond a doubt.
This system has become rampant in Nigeria. If the grundnorm (Constitution) is not saved from the punishment of convention, what will be that of NBA Constitution? The one that receives its validity from the grund norm.
Though there is no provision in the NBA Constitution which provides that an NBA’s president must a SAN, yet the convention and custom that NBA’s president must be a SAN has made us forget the settled provision of constitution that provides for universal suffrage for almost 30 years.
The victory of Akpata is not only a victory but a memorable history. His victory can be likened to that of President Buhari, who defeated a party rulling for 16 years of unprecedented. NBA has been rulling for thirty years by SANs. Change has now come to reset the long time history and set new goals for the young lawyers.
This result represents a sudden change in the order, as Akpata is the first non-SAN to lead the Nigerian Bar Association in years. Jubilations and rejoice from members of the NBA indicate that there has been a long-standing hunger for a paradigm shift. And now it appears many of the association’s members have a good reason to be excited.
Congratulations, dear boss. I wish you an outstanding success in this assidous task you are about to head. May God lead you through to have a breakthrough administration. Once again, congratulations Olumide Akpata. Esq, the new elected President of the NBA.
- Olayinka Abdurrazzaq is a 300 level law student, University of Ilorin/ Writer.
