Election of National Officers

  • The Association shall for the purpose of election of National Officers be divided into three geographical zones namely – Northern zone, Eastern zone and Western zone.
  • The positions of the President, First Vice President, Secnd Vice President, Third Vice President and General Secretary shall rotate among the three zones. In determining the eligibility of a candidate to contest for any of the rotated offices, regard shall be had to a candidate’s Geographical Zone of origin and not the geographical Zone where he/she carries on legal practice.
  • The Geographical Zone that produces the President of the Association shall also produce the First Vice President.
  • Where a position is zoned to any particular geographical zone, the position shall be rotated and held in turn by the different groups and/or sections in the geographical zone.
  • A list of the States that make up the zones shall be as follows: (a) Northern Zone – Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, and Abuja; (b) Eastern Zone – Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Enugu, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Cross River, Imo, and Rivers; and (c) Western Zone – Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo.
  • All members of the Association shall be eligible to vote at the general election for National Offices, provided that such members must belong to a Branch and must have paid their Practicing Fees as at when due and are duly registered to vote at that election
  • Election of National Officers shall be held in the month of July of the election year of the Association or at such time and place as may be ratified by the National Executive Council.
  • The ECNBA shall circulate a full list of properly nominated candidates for election as National Officers to all the Branches, Sections, and Fora, and candidates by email and other applicable electronic platforms, as well as displayed on the NBA website at least forty-five (45) clear days before the date of the election.
  • The full list of the members of the Association qualified to vote shall be published by ECNBA at least forty-five (45) clear days before the date of the election.
  • 1A candidate for any elective national office shall be nominated or proposed in writing by a member and seconded by another both of whom shall be qualified like the candidate in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution for the equivalent office and shall have paid their practicing fees and Branch dues.
  • Candidates shall submit by email a copy of their Curriculum Vitae of not more than four pages of A4-size paper, comprehensive manifestoes and other campaign materials to the ECNBA for publication on the NBA website, not later than the day fixed by the ECNBA.
  • The publication, printing or distribution of any campaign material, gifts, and any form of souvenir whatsoever by a candidate or his/her supporter(s) is hereby prohibited and any candidate who contravenes this provision shall be disqualified from being voted for.
  • Any form of donations and philanthropic gestures by candidates seeking election into any national office during the election year is hereby prohibited, and any candidate who contravenes this provision shall be disqualified from being voted for in the election.
  • All Branches, Sections, and Fora are prohibited from soliciting contributions, donations or sponsorship from candidates seeking election into any national office during the election year.
  • Any form of financial inducement including paying annual practicing fees or branch dues for lawyers to curry favour from voters or for any reason whatsoever by candidates and their supporters in the election year is hereby prohibited, and any candidate who contravenes this provision shall be disqualified from being voted for in the election. PROVIDED that any such payment of Bar Practicing Fees and branch dues by the candidate for lawyers who are in his/her direct employment shall not be construed as financial inducement.
  • The Electoral Committee shall collate all materials, arrange them in alphabetical order without regard for the position being sought and publish them in an electronic Election Magazine to be hosted on the NBA website at least thirty (30) clear days before the election.
  • Offices shall be vacant by effluxion of time, death, resignation, removal, or for any other reasonable cause.
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