By Innocent Anaba

There were uncertainties, weekend, over the fate of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, elections slated for July 23 and 24, as the election management bodies of the association, failed to deliver on their self-imposed timelines for the elections.

Lawyers

While Law Pavilion owned by Grace Infotech Limited is the ICT Partner and Administrator for the elections, the Electoral Committee of the NBA, ECNBA, headed by Mr. Ken Mozia, SAN, is saddled with the mandate of conducting the polls.

Though the electoral committee had issued both preliminary and final guidelines for the elections, it had been unable to meet the timelines it set for the elections, raising concerns on a possible postponement of the elections.

Stakeholders are also in the dark as to the reasons for non-publication of the voters’ register and the new date to deliver on the mandate.

The final voters’ register for the elections has not been made public at press time, notwithstanding that the ECNBA stated that the register would be published on June 24, 2016. The final processes leading to its publication are yet to commence.

The election guidelines stipulate that “pre-voting” entails collating member verification, Bar practising fee and branch dues lists from registered branches.

The administrator will then publish the voters’ register across all branches, while members are expected to review the voters’ register to confirm that their names, email addresses and phone numbers are error free.

“Those who have issues with their credentials are advised to visit their local branch to fill an amendment form with their current details, and append their signature confirming their request to edit their details,” states the guidelines.

It added that “the editing of details will be opened for a period of one week, after which the Branch Chairman is required to send a signed collated verification list of members’ details to the Electoral Committee, so that members’ details can be updated, and a new voters register hence published finally on June 24, 2016.”

The ECNBA has failed to publish the final list on June 24, 2016 as stipulated, while the provisional list of voters has not been dispatched to branches or published for viewing and complaints.