By Dayo Benson & Innocent Anaba

All is set ahead of the July 30 and 31 epoch making election of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, in which new national officers will emerge to run the body’s affairs for the next two years. It is a novel electoral system as lawyers who paid their practising fee and branch branch due as at March 31, 2016, will be eligible to vote for candidates of their choice electronically, unlike the old delegate system.

.Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama

Indeed, the highest stake in the two-day exercise is the office of NBA president which is being sought by two gladiators, J-k Gadzama SAN and A B Mahmoud SAN. We present the two candidates and what they stand for.

Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud:

Born in Kano, in June 16, 1957, was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1980, became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN in 2001 and has been in private legal practice since 1993. He has acted as Managing Partner of the Law Firm of Dikko & Mahmoud a mid-size law firm with offices in Kano and Abuja.

The firm services a wide range of clients both in the public and private sectors. He has been in charge of coordinating the firm’s professional practice. Mahmoud has taken lead role in some of the firm’s major transactions on behalf of clients offering services in diverse fields including: investments, privatisations, acquisitions and dispute resolutions. He has led some of the firm’s major and complex litigation both at trial and appellate levels.

In addition to professional pursuits, he participated actively on voluntary basis in various community and other agency activities both at State and National levels. At present he is serving on Boards and acting in advisory Capacity to various non-governmental organisations.  In 2013 Mahmud was invited to join the World Bank Governance Consultative Group as well as National Advisory Committee of the National Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) a programme aimed at reducing violent conflict in Nigeria under the auspices of the UK Department for International Development (DFID).

Legal Profession).

Appointed Life Bencher in 2011  2003 to 2007- Member Legal Practitioner’s Privileges Committee, (A Statutory body Chaired by the Chief Justice of the Federation.) 2000-to 2004 Chairman Nigeria Bar Association Committee on the National Privatisation Programme 2000-to 2004 Member, Disciplinary Committee of the Nigeria Bar Association  1999-2000 Member NBA Practice Development Committee 1999-2000 Member Human Rights Committee of the NBA 1999-to 2010 Member Governing Council, Centre for Research and Documentation Kano 1998 Member National Caretaker Committee of the NBA 1997 Member National Reconciliation Committee of the NBA 1994-1998 Chairman, Kano Branch of the Nigeria Bar Association 1994-1998.

Mahmoud SAN

The vision of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) should rank among the foremost Bar Associations in the world. To achieve this vision, the NBA requires visionary leadership and direction. To this end, I present myself as a candidate for the position of the President of the NBA from September 2016 to August 2018. Therefore I ask for your unalloyed support in this regard.

In asking for your support, I have developed this leap-frog agenda for your consideration and to seek to enlist your support behind our ambition to create one of the best Bar Associations in the world.  If elected, I will work to ensure the independence and integrity of the Judiciary as well as ensure that corruption in the judicial system is unapologetically eroded. I will also ensure the improvement of the administration of justice system, its procedures and the arrangement of court business.

I and my team will work with the relevant Committees of the NBA and the IBA Judicial Integrity Initiative in the improvement of the level of integrity in and independence of the judiciary.  The NBA under my leadership will do this by contributing to legal, political, economic, social reforms and development. We shall also work in the areas of Administration of criminal Justice, Law reform, Rule of Law, Constitutional and Electoral reforms, human rights, public interest litigation, Legislative advocacy, etc.

If elected, I shall ensure a quick and smooth passage of the pending Justice Sector Bills particularly the Legal Practitioners Bill with a view to its being enacted into law. The envisaged Bill, when enacted, would replace the current Legal Practitioners Act.

The current LPA is anachronistic and does not provide for self-regulation, independence, and current trends in the legal profession. Review of the Rules of Professional Conduct: The current Rules of Professional Conduct are outdated. If elected, I shall ensure that the RPC is reviewed to meet current needs and emerging trends in the legal profession. Legal Education & Admission:

There is an alarming fall in standard of legal education – If elected, I shall work with the National Universities Commission, Council of Legal Education and Law faculties in our various universities with a view to introducing measures and making proposals that will ensure a higher standard of legal education and criteria for admission. The NBA under my leadership shall promote the highest quality of legal education.

Chief Joe-Kyari Gadzama, SAN:

A native of Lassa in Borno State, was born on  November 28, 1961 in Mubi, Adamawa State to Mallam Kyari Ali Lassa, a Police Inspector and Mrs. Saratu Kyari Ali, a petty trader. Following primary school education in Kaduna State and Teacher’s College in Song, Adamawa State, Gadzama obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Maiduguri in 1985. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1986, became a Notary Public in 1996 and took Silk in 1998.

From a sole practice established in 1989 with one lawyer and one paralegal, Chief Gadzama has built a law career with over 50 lawyers and over 50 paralegal staff from all over Nigeria. His firm, J-K Gadzama LLP, has a state-of-the-art corporate headquarters in Abuja (“JK Gadzama Court”) recently commissioned by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed. The Firm also has offices in Lassa, Maiduguri and Lagos as well as associate offices in London, United Kingdom and South Florida, USA.

Gadzama, a Life Bencher, has served and continues to serve as a member of numerous public and private organisations, and as a consummate Bar man, Gadzama has successfully served the Bar in various capacities as Chairman of NBA Abuja Branch (2003-2005), pioneer Chairman of NBA Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL), pioneer Vice Chairman of NBA Section on Legal Practice (NBA-SLP), and Chairman of Conference Planning Committee for 2005 NBA Annual General Conference in Jos, among others.

Gadzama is also a three-time recipient of the NBA President’s Sponsorship Award. He is a member of the General Council of the Bar (2004 till date), and has been a member of NBA-NEC since 1998. He is a Life Member of the African Bar Association (ABA); Member, West African Bar Association (WABA); Member, African Bar Association (AfBA); Member, Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA), and Member, Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU). He is an Associate Member of the American Bar Association (ABA) and a Member of the International Bar Association (IBA).

Manifesto

The Nigerian Bar Association is a growing institution. Learning is a lifelong activity, hence we cannot rest on our oars. After all, room for improvement is still the biggest room in the world. In order to narrow the gap between the level of function and the limit of potential, there is the need to have full and active participation of all members of the Association in Bar activities.

This can only be achieved through total commitment to transparency and accountability by the Association. For the NBA to fulfil its obligations and meet the yearnings and aspirations of its members, I will reappraise its strategy and refocus on professional development and capacity building. It is only when we constantly and effectively reappraise ourselves and rekindle our

collective hope and dream of a strong, robust and vibrant Bar that we can promote good governance within the profession and the nation at large. My vision is to spearhead the emergence of an effective, efficient and purposeful NBA committed to protection and promotion of the rule of law and maintenance of the best traditions of the Bar. To achieve this, I pledge to serve with integrity and run an inclusive NBA dedicated to the advancement of the interest of its members and the protection of societal norms and values.

My core values are exemplary leadership, integrity, courage, transparency, accountability, innovation, accessibility and sustainability. My main focus will be to empower our members and promote professional development and continuing legal education through the following core programme of action: Development of Efficient Welfare – Support Programmes for Lawyers;  Enhanced Continuing Legal Education for improved Professional Development; Bar Practice Fees/Stamps/Car Stickers;  Gender/Affirmative Action;

Accountability & Transparency;  Provision of Legal Aid Service Scheme; Pro Bono Services;  Discipline within the Legal Profession;  Improved interaction among the NBA Sections, Fora, Committees and Registered Bodies;  Conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria; Amendment of the 2015 NBA Constitution; Amendment of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners 2007 and Vibrant and Inclusive Bar.

This election is a clarion call to reshape, redirect, re-invigorate, re-energize and revitalize the destiny of our noble profession. We must elect responsible, courageous, compassionate and bridge-building leaders who will shoulder the responsibility of building on the gains of our past of leaders and the present NBA leadership. This is my dream.