2020 NBA DECIDES: ECNBA Releases Interim/Provisional Voters Register

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NBA NATIONAL ELECTIONS 2020 – PUBLICATION OF
INTERIM/PROVISIONAL VOTERS REGISTER

The publication of the INTERIM/PROVISIONAL VOTERS REGISTER
hereof of members qualified to vote in the 2020 general elections
of the National Executives of the NBA is to afford members of the
bar the opportunity to verify their names and details/particulars,
such as year of Call, email addresses and phone numbers, which are
essential for the e-voting exercise.

Members are expected to bring any corrections or omissions to
the attention of their Branch Chairmen and ensure that the
corrections are forwarded to the Secretary of the ECNBA before the
publication of the final Voters Register pursuant to the provisions
of Paragraph 1.3(d) second schedule of the Constitution of the
Nigerian Bar Association 2015 (as amended). The ECNBA will also be
open to receiving any objections or alerts with respect to names
that should not be featured on the list by reason of death,
elevation to the Bench, or some other justifiable and verifiable
reason. Such complaints should be sent directly by members to the
ECNBA Secretary via email.

In the compilation of the Voters Register for the election, the
ECNBA is guided by Section 17(2) (a), Article 3(3) of the Nigerian
Bar Association Uniform Bye-Law for Branches contained in the third
schedule and Paragraph 1.2 (f) of the second schedule to the
Constitution of the NBA 2015 (as amended) which provides as
reproduced hereunder thus:-

Section 17 (2) (a) of the NBA Constitution:

“Every full member shall pay annually, by the 31st day of March,
his/her Practising fees as may be determined from time to time by
the National Executive Committee of the Association”

Article 3(3) of the Nigerian Bar Association Uniform Bye-Law for
Branches:

“A financial member is a member who by the 31st of March of the
relevant year has paid all branch dues or subscriptions, levies,
including practice fees and other contributions imposed by the
branch from time to time”

Paragraph 1.2(f) of the second schedule:

“All members of the Association shall be eligible to vote at the
general election for National Executives provided that such members
must belong to a branch and must have paid both the Practising Fees
and Branch Dues as at when due and are duly registered to vote at
that election.”

Having regard to the above provisions the Committee has, in
compiling names for publication in this interim/provisional List,
taken resource from the following:-

i) List of members who have paid their Bar Practice Fees (BPF)
as at March 31st 2020, as supplied by the National Secretariat of
the NBA

ii) List of members who paid their Bar Practice Fees and Branch
Dues as at 31st March 2020 and applied for Stamp and Seal for the
year 2020, as supplied by the National Secretariat of the NBA

iii) Lists of members who have paid their Branch Dues as at 31st
March 2020 supplied by Branch Chairmen of the NBA as confirmed by
the Bar Practice Fees payment List supplied by the National
Secretariat of the NBA.

It is noteworthy that out of One hundred and twenty five (125)
Branches of the NBA, the committee received Branch Dues payment
list of members from about One hundred and ten (110) Branches,
leaving about Fifteen (15) Branches unaccounted for, in spite of
several extensions and reminders. Of the 110 Branches which made
submissions to the Committee, it was observed that more than 70% of
them failed to adhere to the stipulations in Paragraph 8.3 of the
Guidelines on the Elections issued by the ECNBA on the 21st of
April, 2020, which states clearly that

Branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) shall confirm the
names of their members who have paid their annual Bar Dues and
Branch levies to the Secretary of the Electoral Committee on or
before 2nd May 2020. The confirmed list shall contain the full
names, mobile phone numbers and active email addresses of such
Branch members.

A further email to all Branch Chairmen, sent by the Secretary of
the ECNBA on the 4th day of May 2020 extending time for submission
of their respective lists of members, reminded Branch Chairmen to
submit the Branch Dues list and Statements of account showing
evidence of payment of Branch Dues by members as at 31st March
2020. Time was thereupon extended till the 9th day of May 2020 for
the said purpose.

In a bid to ensure that Branches are given adequate opportunity
to comply with the ECNBA request, this committee in its Statement
No. 004 dated the 20th of May 2020, issued a reminder to Branches
yet to submit proof of Payment of Branch Dues to so do.

After all the above steps to accommodate members, it is sad to
note that as at 6PM on the 29th day of May 2020, the ECNBA has
received the list of members who have paid Branch dues and Proof of
Payment thereof, as at 31st March 2020 from only Thirty six (36)
Branches of the NBA, namely;

1. BADAGRY

2. BUKURU

3. CALABAR

4. DEGEMA

5. EKET

6. EKPOMA

7. GBOKO

8. IDEMILI

9. AHOADA

10. IKOT EKPENE

11. ILE-IFE

12. ILORIN

13. ISIOKPO

14. KADUNA

15. KATSINA

16. KEFFI

17. LAFIA

18. LAGOS

19. MAIDUGURI

20. OHAFIA

21. OKEHI

22. SAGBAMA

23. OKITIKPUPA

24. OKRIKA

25. OMOKU

26. ONDO

27. ONUEKE

28. ORLU

29. OTA

30. OTUOCHA

31. UKWA

32. SAKI

33. IKORODU

34. UMUAHIA

35. WUKARI

36. ZARIA

However, in spite of the fact that the Committee subsequently
requested for the list of members to be sent via excel or Word
format, six (6) out of the thirty six (36) branches listed above,
namely; 1). BUKURU 2). OHAFIA 3). OKENE 4). ORLU 5). UKWA 6).
WUKARI sent scanned copies of their list of members which could not
be utilized in the course of compiling the interim/provisional list
of voters.

Some other Branches either submitted Lists without proof of
payment of branch dues or sent payment receipts and/or tellers
without lists of members or without contact details. Other Branches
even sent lists that were either inaccessible online or unreadable
in presentation. These have all impacted on the provisional list
compiled.

The ECNBA will publish only the names of members who are in full
compliance with the provisions of the NBA Constitution as those
eligible and qualified to vote at the 2020 general elections of the
National Executives of the NBA.

Members are hereby advised and required to confirm their names
and details on the Published Interim/Provisional Voters List and
send in their corrections to their Branch Chairmen and ensure that
the corrections are forwarded to the Secretary of the ECNBA not
later than the 6th day of June 2020 for compilation in the Final
Voters Register.

TAKE NOTICE THAT any Branch which does not supply the required
corrections within the time stipulated herein would not be
accommodated after the publication of the Final Voters Register.
All submissions from Branches must be in EXCEL format indicating
the full name (Surname first), year of Call, phone number, email
address, the complaint of the individual and the required
correction, provided that complaints of omission of names must be
accompanied by proof of payment of Bar Practice Fees and Branch
Dues. See a sample in the box hereunder.

S/N	NAME	YEAR OF CALL	PHONE NO.	BRANCH	EMAIL	COMPLAINT/CORRECTION
1.	JAMES Godwin Charles	1990	08011111111		godwinjames@xyz.com ^[1]	Incorrect Phone number/ Omission of name/etc.

Members are further advised to immediately commence verification
of their details including phone numbers, emails and enrolment
numbers, on the NBA members’ database on the website (if they are
yet to do so).

To
download the provisional list, kindly click here.^[2]

Dated this 30th Day of May 2020