The Egbe Amofin O’odua (Egbe Amofin) has condemned criticisms by the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN) and others against the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) over his directions forNBA election: Egbe Amofin flays attacks on AGF Fagbemi, others the association’s upcoming 2026 national officers’ elections.
Fagbemi had, following the June 11, 2026 meeting of former presidents of the association, directed the executive to postpone the election from July ending to August to give room for the resolution of issues around the compulsory use of the National Identification Number (NIN) for the electronic voting, withdrawal of pending cases and the issue of an untested service provider for appointed by the Electoral Committee, among other issues.
Osigwe, in a reply, described the directive of the AGF as an interference into the activities of an independent body, and entirely unconstitutional, and ultra vires his powers, adding that it is a breach of Section 10(2) of the Legal Practitioners Act.
However, in a statement signed by the chairman of the Egbe Amofin O’odua, Aare Isiaka Abiola Olagunju (SAN) and the secretary, Prince Adetunji Oso (SAN), the group said the rejection of the outcome of the meeting on the grounds of bias against members of three-member committee, including Wole Olanipekun (SAN), after absenting himself from a mutually agreed meeting of June 23, was most unfortunate and misleading proposition from the President of the NBA.
“Unfortunately, among those who have been making denigrating and disparaging commentaries about the person and office of the AGF, as well as some respected leaders of the Bar from the South-West are Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN; the Eastern Bar Forum (EBF); and the Mid-Western Bar Forum (MBF),” Egbe said.
“Most unfortunately still, these vituperators, purveyors of commentaries, or opinion peddlers have chosen not to address, positively, realistically, and objectively any of the directions of the AGF.”
Egbe noted that the AGF’s directions arose from the report of the three-member committee constituted on 11th June, 2026 after a resolution reached at the meeting which he held with all Past Presidents of the NBA since 1998 and leading counsel to the respective parties in Suit Nos. 1/205/2026; I/221/2026 and Appeal No. CA/B/110/2026, wherein Osigwe failed to attend.
“In closing, the Egbe wants to borrow from the recent admonition of a respected Nigerian to the NBA, to the effect that ‘the institutional credibility of the NBA is at stake. The process of our elections must be examined through the lens of Rule of Law, public confidence and democratic legitimacy.
“The NBA internal governance must be connected with the broader constitutional role of lawyers in the society. Lawyers cannot credibly demand democratic standards from others unless they uphold such standards within their own Association’,” the statement added.
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