By Innocent Anaba
LAGOS — The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, weekend, ordered its braches in the 36 states of the federation, to institute legal action against governments which fail to conduct local government area elections in their states.

It condemned the refusal of some state governors to conduct local government elections in their respective states, but rather set up of caretaker committees, which it described as illegal, to run affairs of the councils.

The association has also inaugurated a 14-man Nigerian Constitution and Electoral Laws (Reform) Panel, headed by a former president of the association, Chief Olisa Agbakoba, SAN,  to engage Nigerians through the process of genuine constitution and electoral laws amendments that will meet the aspirations of all Nigerians.

NBA President, Mr Joseph Daudu, SAN, in a communiqué after its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Katsina State, said: “We condemn the attitude of some state governments, which had deliberately refused to allow the conduct of elections into Local Government Councils and in breach of the clear wordings of the constitution set up an illegal entity known as caretaker committee which has consequently resulted in the failure to guarantee the existence of democratically elected officials at that tier of governance.”

“NEC has mandated all branches of the association in the 36 states faced with such situations to challenge such actions in court,” he said.

The association, meanwhile, deferred till its annual conference coming up in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to discuss the report of the NBA Committee, which investigated the crisis between the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius  Katsina-Alu and the President of the Court of Appeal,  Justice Isa Ayo Salami.