Rivers NBA Election Delayed Amid Voter List Protests

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) election for the Port Harcourt Branch, originally scheduled for Friday, has been indefinitely postponed due to a crisis stemming from protests over the voters' list. The situation prompted a significant deployment of armed security personnel from the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services at the NBA House, the election venue.

Candidates voiced their concerns regarding the electoral process, particularly focusing on the failure of the Electoral Committee to adhere to the branch’s bye-laws by not publishing the voters’ register in advance. Chilezie Oluolu, a candidate for the position of Social Secretary, highlighted that the final voters’ list was published unexpectedly late, between 10:45 p.m. and 11 p.m. the night before the election, which contributed to the unrest and subsequent postponement.