Breakaway lawyers write Malami to explain why they pulled out of NBA

A group of lawyers that broke away from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) have written a letter to Abubakar Malami, the Attorney-General of the Federal Minister of Justice to explain their reason for leaving the NBA and forming a new one.

Following the withdrawal of the invitation extended to Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State as a speaker at the just concluded 60th annual conference of the NBA, some lawyers from the north had condemned the association’s decision and also accused it of bias.

Some groups of lawyers also threatened to pull of the association if the NBA failed to rescind its decision.

Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami. [TheNigerialawyer] Pulse Nigeria

However, in a letter dated Friday, August 28, 2020, and signed by Nuhu Ibrahim and Abdulbasit Suleiman, first and second conveners respectively, the breakaway lawyers said the National Executive Council of the NBA “failed to take into consideration our national interests.”

The group, which calls its association the New Nigeria Bar Association (NNBA) said the association believes in the ideals that bind Nigerians together.

ALSO READ: Mike Ozekhome rejects plan to form new NBA by aggrieved lawyers

The letter reads, “We are pleased to inform you of the formation of a new Association of Lawyers as above captioned,”

“The formation of the new Association has become imperative and expedient especially flowing from the activities, disposition and most recently, the decision of the Nigerian Bar Association-NEC (National Executive Committee) which apparently failed to take into consideration our national interests and particularly do not promote the unity of our indissoluble country, Nigeria.

“Sir, the New Nigerian Bar Association believes in the ideals that bounds (sic) our country together as echoed in our National Anthem: ‘The Labours of our heroes past shall never be in vain.

“You are, however, to be further informed that work is in progress with regards to all the nitty-gritty of the formation of an Association such as this to which we shall keep you updated.”

Meanwhile, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome had on Friday, August 28, 2020, rejected the plan to establish a new NBA, saying the formation of a faction won’t work.

Ozekhome said most members of the NBA would not allow the aggrieved lawyers to establish a parallel NBA.