BY BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE

As the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, 2014 election approaches, the elders and governing council of the Eastern Bar Forum, EBF, have adopted candidates for various offices.

The candidates are Mr. Francis Ekwere for the office of First –Vice President, Afam Obi for the Office of Second Vice-President, C.C. Onwuzuluike for Legal Adviser, Chinwe Nwadike for Treasurer,  Unachukwu John Austin for Publicity Secretary, Kelvin Ejelonu for Financial Secretary, U.F.O. Nnaemeka for First Assistant Secretary and Cecelia Ogbuji  for  Asst. Financial Secetary.

In an emergency meeting held in Aba, Abia State, the Presidential hopefuls such as Osas Justy Erhabor, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), Mrs Funke Adekoya (SAN), Augustine Alegeh (SAN) and Dele Adesina (SAN), addressed the meeting among others.

Candidates, while addressing the meeting, affirmed belief, faith and commitment to the outcome of the exercise. They pledged to be bound by the result of the exercise. At the end of the exercise, Mr. Andrew Ashon was adopted as the candidate for Third Vice Presdent while the former chairman of Abuja branch, Mazi Afam Osigwe was adopted as the candidate of the forum for the office of General Secretary. Osigwe  defeated Joyce Oduah and Barth Aniche Okoye in a hotly  contested  election.

Addressing the candidates, the NBA President, Okey Wali  (SAN) advised candidates to play according to rules and avoid politics of calumny and mudslinging.

Wali said: “We have achieved much, we have done much and we must do nothing to endanger what we have achieved. Those that should be endorsed should embrace their colleagues and wait and those who do not get the endorsement this time around should wait for next time, it is not a do or die affair, if you don’t get it now, you will get it the next time.”