JUST IN: Amnesty International urges FG to respect NBA independence ahead of elections

Crime Diary, Politics

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — Amnesty International Nigeria has expressed concern over alleged directives attributed to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), regarding the forthcoming national elections of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), urging the Federal Government to respect the association’s independence.

In a statement on Friday, the human rights organisation said Nigerian authorities should refrain from any direct or indirect interference in the internal affairs of the NBA.

According to Amnesty International, the NBA alleged that the purported directives include the disbandment of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), postponement of the elections, termination of the current election service provider, establishment of a caretaker committee, introduction of National Identification Number (NIN) verification for voters, and amendments to the NBA Constitution to remove universal suffrage.

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Amnesty International said the scheduled election of the association’s national officers should proceed as planned.

“The scheduled election of the NBA’s national officers must proceed as planned. Any attempt by the Federal Government to dictate, control or interfere with the governance and electoral processes of the association would constitute an unjustifiable attack on the independence of the legal profession, the rule of law and civic space in Nigeria,” the organisation said.

The group stressed that the Nigerian Bar Association is an independent professional body and not an agency or department of government.

It argued that the Federal Government has no legal authority to issue directives on how the association conducts its elections or manages its internal affairs, adding that any such action would be inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution and Nigeria’s obligations under international human rights law protecting freedom of association and the autonomy of professional organisations.

Amnesty International called on the authorities to withdraw any directives affecting the NBA’s electoral process, respect the association’s autonomy and ensure that its elections are conducted freely, fairly and without intimidation or political interference.

The organisation added that safeguarding the independence of the legal profession is essential to strengthening the rule of law, protecting civic space and preventing abuse of state power.

Neither the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation nor the Federal Government had publicly responded to the allegations at the time of filing this report.