Bar Leaders Clash Over AGF's NBA Election Directives

Bar leaders in Nigeria are expressing divergent views regarding directives from Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi concerning the forthcoming Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) elections scheduled for July 18, 2026. Senior lawyers, including former NBA First Vice President John Aikpokpo-Martin and members from the Eastern Bar Forum and Midwest Bar Forum, have rejected the Attorney General's intervention, arguing that he lacks constitutional authority to issue directives affecting the NBA's electoral process.

They emphasize the need for the NBA to maintain its independence as governed by the Legal Practitioners Act. While some, like Jibrin Okutepa, defend the Attorney General's involvement as a facilitative measure amid ongoing litigation concerning the electoral process, others warn against external interference that could undermine democratic principles within the association.

The situation reveals deep divisions within the legal profession in Nigeria, with calls for continued dialogue among stakeholders to resolve the electoral concerns.