Stop Ethnic Platform In Adoption Of NBA Presidency–Odinkalu

Prof. Chidi Odinkalu has voiced out what could be likened to the
shameful act of adoption by some Lawyers at the Bar. According to
him, there are better things that worry the Bar other than this
ethnical ideas nursed by some lawyers in some part of the country.
He emphasized the fact that ethnicity and religious sentiments have
no place in the Bar as there is no Christian or Muslim Lawyer, or
Igbo and Fulani Lawyer in Nigeria.

In his words he stated thus:

“I hope we can focus on the things that worry the Bar & that
when the leadership issues come to be settled, people will stop
this nonsense of adoption by ethnic platforms because it is just
that, nonsense:

Yorubas did not recommend Obasanjo to Nigeria. Indeed, if they
were going to adopt anyone, it would never have been Obasanjo;

Fulanis did not recommend Buhari to Nigeria and it is doubtful
if they would have adopted him if it came to that. At the Bar, the
South-West did not adopt any candidate in the penultimate Bar
elections and certainly did not present Austin Alegeh as their
adopted candidate; The North did not present an adopted candidate
and surely not AB Mahmoud.

Speaking further he frowned at what he described as Cabalisation
of the NBA politics and the need for a disregard of same.

”The idea of ethnic cabals telling anyone how to vote or who to
vote for is entirely incompatible with one-person-one-vote.

There is a good reason for this: the things that make you
appealing to your ethnic cohort are likely to put the rest of
Nigeria off about you.

We elected a President of the NIGERIAN Bar not a President of a
village association or ethnic cabal.

When the time comes, let the best candidate win but, I swear, if
you come to me telling me ur candidate has been adopted by any
ethnic cabal, I will mobilise my own little constituency against
you because as far as I am concerned, you are unsuitable to lead a
Bar in a badly divided country. I don’t care who you are.

We are not Muslim Lawyers or Christian Lawyers; we are not Igbo,
Ijaw, Fulani, Nupe Berom, Yoruba, Edo, Bajju, Bura, Idoma or
Etsako, Kataf, Ibibio or Kanuri etc lawyers. We are Nigerian
lawyers.

Let’s stop being small and thinking we can be big lawyers by
being the smallest we can. This ethnic cabalisation nonsense has to
stop. Do it in your bedrooms!”, he said.

Prof. Chidi Odinkalu has voiced out what could be likened to the
shameful act of adoption by some Lawyers at the Bar. According to
him, there are better things that worry the Bar other than this
ethnical ideas nursed by some lawyers in some part of the country.
He emphasized the fact that ethnicity and religious sentiments have
no place in the Bar as there is no Christian or Muslim Lawyer, or
Igbo and Fulani Lawyer in Nigeria.

In his words he stated thus:

“I hope we can focus on the things that worry the Bar & that
when the leadership issues come to be settled, people will stop
this nonsense of adoption by ethnic platforms because it is just
that, nonsense:

Yorubas did not recommend Obasanjo to Nigeria. Indeed, if they
were going to adopt anyone, it would never have been Obasanjo;

Fulanis did not recommend Buhari to Nigeria and it is doubtful
if they would have adopted him if it came to that. At the Bar, the
South-West did not adopt any candidate in the penultimate Bar
elections and certainly did not present Austin Alegeh as their
adopted candidate; The North did not present an adopted candidate
and surely not AB Mahmoud.

Speaking further he frowned at what he described as Cabalisation
of the NBA politics and the need for a disregard of same.

”The idea of ethnic cabals telling anyone how to vote or who to
vote for is entirely incompatible with one-person-one-vote.

There is a good reason for this: the things that make you
appealing to your ethnic cohort are likely to put the rest of
Nigeria off about you.

We elected a President of the NIGERIAN Bar not a President of a
village association or ethnic cabal.

When the time comes, let the best candidate win but, I swear, if
you come to me telling me ur candidate has been adopted by any
ethnic cabal, I will mobilise my own little constituency against
you because as far as I am concerned, you are unsuitable to lead a
Bar in a badly divided country. I don’t care who you are.

We are not Muslim Lawyers or Christian Lawyers; we are not Igbo,
Ijaw, Fulani, Nupe Berom, Yoruba, Edo, Bajju, Bura, Idoma or
Etsako, Kataf, Ibibio or Kanuri etc lawyers. We are Nigerian
lawyers.

Let’s stop being small and thinking we can be big lawyers by
being the smallest we can. This ethnic cabalisation nonsense has to
stop. Do it in your bedrooms!”, he said.