Thursday, May 17, 2012

TIGER BAR ELECTION: KANGAROO ELECTION EQUALS TAINTED VICTORY

 
 
The drama, very high indeed started on Monday April 2nd 2012 at the monthly meeting of the NBA Ikeja and, interestingly, very intere
stingly the drama as it appears, has not ended.

The issue at hand that April afternoon was setting up the Electoral Committee that would conduct the election that would produce the next administration of the Tiger Bar, after the incumbent Adebamigbe Omole regime which took office in June 2010 and would ordinarily leave June 2012.

On paper, appointing the three member committee of the electoral Committee is simple. The Chairman calls members to make nominations and recognizes three nominators who, each, in turn announces his or her nominee.

In practice however, the Chairman has a hectic time performing the ordinarily simple task. This is because there would be too many potential nominators, overtly excited and desperate to get the nod of the Chairman to announce a preferred nominee.

Thus setting up the electoral committee of the Tiger Bar was always a hectic affair, and full of tension. The meeting of April 2nd 2012 lived fully to the billing.

The first nomination was that of Mr. Dosu Ogunniyi, former Chairman of the Branch in 1996 and a member of the Elder Committee of the Branch. His nominator was Dare Akande leader of the Progressive Caucus in the Tiger Bar.

Ogunniyi’s nomination fairly easily scaled through, though there were some shouts in opposition. Earlier on, Ogunniyi a near septuagenarian had taken a lot of time addressing the meeting on the need for the maintenance of decency, friendliness and orderliness in the conduct of the elections.

The second nomination was of Mrs. Nkechi Ojo. When the nominee came out to the front fierce and hostile shouts of “NO! NO!” rent the air, and the opposition came mainly from supporters of Monday Ubani one of the three candidates vying for the post of Chairman.

The Chairman ignored the shouts of opposition to Nkechi Ojo and called for the third nomination. The third nominee was Reginald Ugwuadu. There was a few opposition to Reginald’s nomination, which came from Alhaji Adegbenro.

Earlier on the Chairman had allowed another nomination, in the form of another Nkechi. Then the Chairman refusing calls that election be done between Nkechi Ojo and other Nkechi, canceled the nomination of both ladies and called for a fresh nomination but insisted that the nominee must be a lady. The Chairman then recognized Matthias Emeribe a staunch Monday Ubani supporter to make nomination. The gentleman after some dilly-dallying nominated Mrs. Funmi Falana.

Thus at the end of the day, the following persons Oladosu Ogunniyi, Reginald Ugwuadu and Funmi Falana became members of the Electoral Committee. As is the practice the oldest member of the committee at the Bar, Dosu Ogunniyi became the electoral Committee Chairman, while the youngest at the Bar, Funmi Falana, became the Secretary.

The first inkling that made observers fear that the 2012 election might go awry was the publication of the 1st Election Guidelines by the Ogunniyi Committee. The said guidelines were so draconian and unrealistic in its provisions that none of the sixteen candidates vying for positions in the elections, qualified to run in the elections. (See Cover Story Exhibit). Furthermore the guidelines introduced a strange rule: “registered voters would only be allowed to vote if they had paid practicing fees for year 2012”.

All the major contestants became dismayed at this development since the rule effectively ruled out more than half, the registered voters since only few practicing lawyers made it a point of duty to pay their practicing fees either at all or as at when due.

The immediate consequence of the outlandish guidelines was to heighten suspicion and tension between the two main groups in the election: the Ubani and the Farounbi groups. While the Farounbi group were bemused at the guidelines, the Ubani group spread the rumor that the Electoral Guidelines was targeted at them to slice off the group’s voting strength. According to the Ubani group, the Farounbi group also called the “Exco” had always known that payment of practicing fees would be made a pre-condition for voting and had accordingly instructed its supporters to pay practicing fees.

Even before this time, the two groups had locked horns on the issue of registration of voters. While the Ubani group, and the Niyi Akinmola group too, wanted what can be called a “free for all registration” the Farounbi group wanted restrictive registration, to prevent the registration of non lawyers or non members of the Ikeja Bar from participating in the election. The liberal position of the Ubani/Akinmola groups urged the registration of any one who claims he is a legal practitioner with office or home address within the Ikeja Judicial Division.

The Farounbi group on the other hand wanted prospective voters to identify themselves with their Call to Bar Certificates before they would be allowed to pay for branch dues. 

The insistence of the Executive Committee to prefer the Farounbi’s group perspective led to the inconveniencing of many otherwise genuine members of the branch who were forced to produce the Call to Bar certificates, before they could pay the branch dues, which receipt serves as the Voter’s Card.

The clash of interest over the use of the Call-to Bar certificate in the registration of members for voting eventually led to litigation and in the end sharply exposed the odd mentality of the Electoral Committee.

About three days to the Elections, slated to hold on Monday 7th May 2012, a group of seven members of the Branch, led by “Barrister (Chief) Victor Kolade, filled a suit in court asking for a stoppage of the scheduled election and invalidation of the voters list to be used for the election because according to the claimants, they had been unfairly prevented from getting duly registered.

The Electoral Committee’s immediate reaction was to state that it would not go on with the election on the face of the suit. On Friday May 5 2012, at a meeting with the candidates, a decision was reached that the seven disgruntled voters be invited to register and then be allowed to vote. The General Secretary of the bar was instructed to inform the claimant’s lawyer about this decision. The General Secretary complied and the claimant’s lawyer Debo Oduguwa was equally swift to reply that his clients were not interested in the offer that they should come forward to be registered for the election.

To the surprise of many, the Electoral Committee upon having knowledge of the unreasonable stance of the the disgruntled claimants continued to insist that it would not go on with the election except the pending suit was determined or withdrawn.

All arguments to the Electoral Committee that the refusal of the “group of 7” to register for the election was clear proof of mischief calculated to stall the election and that no reasonable court of tribunal of law would fault the holding of the election under the circumstances fell on deaf ears.

This was the main reason why 7th May 2012 came and went with no elections taking place even though no less than about eight hundred Tigers (NBA Ikeja members) showed up for the exercise and waited for no less than six hours for the election to commence.

It must be added though that the resolve of the Electoral Committee not to hold the election on 7th May 2012 was further hardened by Monday Ubani and Niyi Akinmola two of the three candidates vying for the chairmanship position.

At a closed door meeting of Elders with the chairmanship candidates, it was only Yinka Farounbi who expressed the view that despite the suit of the “Group of 7” the election should still hold on that day. His rivals Ubani and Akinmola on the other hand contended to the contrary claiming such an action would be contemptuous of court.

It would appear that the Dosu Ogunniyi Electoral Committee was only being selective in terms of being firm on issues and standing rigid on due processes and the law.

In considering the report of the General Secretary on all the aspirants as prescribed the Bye-Laws of the NBA Ikeja Branch, the Electoral Committee did not stand on the correctness of the Law.

The Committee decided to allow for example a candidate for the post of Auditor, Nkechi Pat Ume-Okechukwu, to contest the election even though the General Secretary’s damnifying finding on the said candidate and which sufficiently warranted her exclusion from the race was upheld by the Ogunniyi Committee.

In opening the door for Ume-Okechukwu, Dosu Ogunniyi now widely derided in Progressive circles of the Ikeja Bar as “Baba Ogunyehun!” said the allowance was made to allow for “professional harmony” in the Bar.

But the same attitude was not put on Monday 7th May 2012 when the Electoral Committee conveniently forgot any concern about “professional harmony” in insisting on not going on with the election to the detriment of close to a thousand members but the satisfaction of just seven.

The “Group of 7’s” calculated bid to thwart the holding of the election as at lasted only a day.

But what a day of glory it was in particular for Niyi Akinmola, who from all indications was the master-mind of the suit. While the resultant dead-lock lasted, given much fillip by the strange obduracy of the Electoral Committee not to proceed with the Election, Akinmola strutted like a peacock all over the Election Ground, where more than eight hundred lawyers lay scattered listlessly like a flock without shepherd; as far as the former progressive element was concerned he by throwing the spanner in the works, had proved his “mighty importance.”

It was however, as events would later prove, Akinmola’s last hurrah. It must again be noted that, Akinmola’s slimy manonevers was also quickly opportuned by the Ubani group, who made a volte face on the issue of the suit filed by the disgruntled claimant.

On Friday 4th May 2012, key Ubani supporters and Ubani himself were for the Elections to go on by Monday 7th May, even before any offer of registration was given to the seven claimants, but by Monday next, the Ubanites were all for the postponement of the election.

They were quick to remind anyone who cared to listen about the need not to run foul of the subjudice rule and were quick to cite the famous Ojukwu and Lagos State Government case out of context in support of their new position.

However by 10.00a.m, the next morning, the suit of the seven claimants was given short shrift in the court of law, as all its sting, poison and teeth were knocked down and out in an emergency terms of settlement which in essence was a mere repeat of the offer of registration to the 7 aggrieved claimants.

With the suit out of the way, courtesy of the strong behind-the-scene diplomatic negotiations and settlement of the elders of the Branch, the stage was finally set to hold the elections, on Wednesday the 9th May 2012.

On very important issue was still outstanding however, that of the practicing fees payment as a pre-condition for voting in the election.

On the surface, the matter appeared to have been resolved in favour of dropping its use in election. At least that was the undertaking the Elders Council thought it had extracted from the Ogunyehun Electoral Committee.

On the issue of the payment of practice fees, the Electoral Committee was at best, queer. The intransigence on the issue was certainly political since there was no cogent reason to command the stiff insistence on the illegal criterion by the Electoral Committee.

In two letters the branch chairman had had cause to counsel the Electoral Committee against making payment of practicing fees a pre-condition for voting in the election to avoid unnecessary controversy and crisis in the branch (see cover story Exhibit) Said Omole inter-alia in his second letter “By the special grace of God, being the official leader of the Branch I did not come to office in crisis and I certainly will not want to see my departure to be in crisis. Your committee accordingly was set-up to conduct elections and not to conduct Crisis. I desire for the sake of peace and progress of our dynamic branch that your committee re-think on its position on the issue herein raised”.

The branch chairman’s wise counsel was treated with scorn by the duo of Dosu Ogunniyi and Funmi Falana who rather complained to the chairman that his letter was unduly harsh on them.

Sources in the wood works of the Electoral Committee informed the Squib that the staunchest proponent of making practicing fee payment a pre-condition for voting was Mrs. Funmi Falana. Though the only female member of the Electoral Committee, her rather brash and aggressively opinionated personality and attitude easily over whelmed Ogunniyi the insipid chairman of the Electoral Committee who consequently was reduced pathetically to a glorified figure head and a ‘gbewudani’ rubber stamp.

Ironically Funmi Falana, called to the Bar only in 1997 lacked the moral credential to mount any high horse of professional propriety in the matter of the election. Firstly since about four years ago the woman hardly ever attended the meetings of the Ikeja Bar and indeed when she was nominated by Mr. Matthias Emeribe, she was not in attendance of the meeting. Secondly, the Squib can exclusively report that, Funmi Falana’s Chambers Falana & Falana at least for the year 2012 paid practicing fees only after March 31st 2012.

The third member of the Electoral Committee, Reginald Uguwadu is another interesting inclusion in the electoral committee. Almost immediately upon his appointment the gentleman left Lagos, never to be seen there again until Monday 7th May 2012 when the first attempt to hold the meeting failed.

Sources in the Electoral Committee told this magazine authoritatively that Ugwuadu was the one who sold the idea of using the payment of practicing fees a pre-condition to vote. However when Ugwuadu changed his mind on the controversial pre-condition, Ogunniyi and Falana became adamant on the issue.

On the Election day, Wednesday 9th March 2012, voting commenced just a few minutes after 11.00am. That was when it dawned on many prospective voters that the Electoral Committee would actually insist on using the controversial pre-condition.

In the first hour of voting, any one with his practicing fees tellers, whether the fee was paid as at when due (on or before 31st March 2012) or not was allowed to vote. Suddenly the Electoral Committee chairman announced that a voter would be eligible to vote, if his practicing fee was paid on or before 31st March 2012.

The practicing fee obstacle proved too high for many prospective voters to scale. Some did not know they had to produce it and so did not come with it to the venue. Some did not even pay it. Some others paid but after March 31st 2012. In this last category were counsel from Ministry of Justice, Lagos state who had a most humiliating day.

For several hours they waited in vain for a chance to vote after making a case for themselves that being not in control of payment of their practicing fees, they should not be sanctioned for paying after 31st of March 2012.

At a point, the Electoral Committee assured the state counsel that they would be allowed to vote because “yours is a special case.” However when it was 3.30p.m the Electoral Committee, now said the resolution of the question whether the state counsel should vote would be answered by the candidates in the election. So deliberately mischievous was the Electoral Committee that it shamelessly and abdicated her responsibility put the question to the candidates with one voice, the now badly shaken and jittery Ubani and Akinmola groups thundered a ‘NO’ and the “Work-to-Answer” Electoral Committee of Dosu Ogunniyi and Funmi Falana happily followed the dictates of their masters to rule out the participation of State counsel from the election. Feeling bitter and humiliated, the representatives of the state counsel asserted that no matter the outcome of the election, the Official Bar in Lagos State would have nothing to do with the Ikeja Bar again. However the representatives got an instant answer from Ubani group supporters who shouted “You can pocket your support. If you don’t support us, we will get support from Alaba and Onitsha!”

Before the Electoral Committee assembled the candidates together to ask them to make a decision for the committee, there had been an uproar that lasted about fifteen minutes at the voting centre.

At the centre of the uproar was this reporter who stormed the hall in anger to vehemently protest the highly suspicious interactions of known Ubani supporters inside the voting hall, with security officials manning the main entrance and the ad-hoc staff of the Electoral Committee, verifying prospective voters After ten minutes of mutual recriminations and explanations between the reporter and the Ubanites, the uproar subsided and voting continued.

With the exit of the large contingent of frustrated voters from the Ministry of Justice and others, like academics (University of Lagos and Lagos State University), corporate practice, etc the Ubani group and Akinmola group breathed a huge sigh of relief and became certain that the Progressives were in for a roasting.

When the first result of the day was announced the Ubani group was very happy- Meimuna Esegime with her 268 votes had thrashed Benjamin Arekameh the Progressive candidates, who had only 163 votes, to become Publicity Secretary elect.

But the next result went to the progressive camp as Nelly Silver Ajalaye, scored 240 to defeat Nkechi Pat Ume-Okechukuwu (200) to become the Auditor elect.

The result after this was for the post of Social Secretary and it really excited the Ubani group. Their Titi Osagie had just defeated Gbenga Ajayi of the Progressive caucus 225 votes – 175 votes.

However for the very important position of  General Secretary, victory was for the Progressives as their Adesina Adegbite with his 275 votes crushed Emmanuel Otobo (172 votes). For the post of 2nd Vice Chairman, it was Carol Ibeh again of the Progressives who won, polling 248 votes to spank Leye Omitola of the Ubani group who got 194 votes.

For the sensitive 1st Vice-Chairmanship post Adesina Ogunlana of the Progressive caucus came first in the contest with a whopping 240 votes making Terry Adeniji of the Ubani’s group a gallant loser with his 175 votes and Charles Biyi Oguntuga of the insignificant Akinmola’s group a paltry 31 votes. The Ogunlana win clearly distressed Funmi Falana the biased secretary of the Electoral Committee who was making all sorts of open uncomplimentary remarks about Ogunlana while the votes were being sorted and counted.

For the post of chairman, the winner was not easy to know between Ubani and Farounbi. It was a neck to neck race with Ubani polling 212 to Farounbi’s 209. A miserable 37 votes were cast for Akinmola, who immediately commenced the bitter and permanent winter of his political life in the NBA Ikeja Branch.

The Ubani win sent his camp to a delirious high and their excitement rose to high heavens. They pranced all over the election venue that night shouting and rejoicing over their win. Amazingly the redoubtable Progressive Caucus despite their shock loss of the chairmanship position still found the strength to rally their supporters and take them to the nearby POWA market for entertainment. Yinka Farounbi the chairmanship candidate of the Progressive Caucus that night said “there is no big deal in losing an election after all only one person can win but I mind losing unfairly. If Ubani had won this election fair and square you can be sure that I will be the first to congratulate him”

Will the joy of the Ubani group last? This question becomes necessary, because five days after the May 9 2012 ‘election’ the progressives headed for the law courts to challenge the propriety of the election that produced Monday Ubani, the Chairman-elect of the Branch.

Monday, May 7, 2012

NBA IKEJA BAR ELECTIONS 2012: WILL THE PROGRESSIVES SWEEP THE STAKES AGAIN?


All other things being equal, the Nigerian Bar Association Ikeja Branch would on May 7 2012 hold General Elections into her Executive Committee, to replace the Adebamigbe Omole cabinet which was elected into office June 4th 2010 for a single two year term.
Of the eleven offices open for contest, only one, that of the Assistant General Secretary did not attract contest. The other ten, to wit have attracted the interest of potential occupiers as follows:-

 Of the eleven offices open for contest, only one, that of the Assistant General Secretary did not attract contest. The other ten, to wit have attracted the interest of potential occupiers as follows:-
 
Chairman-: Niyi Akinmola

                   Yinka Farounbi

                    Monday Ubani



1st Vice Chairman-: Terry Badmus Adeniji

                               Charles Oguntuga

                               Adesina Ogunlana
 
2nd Vice Chairman-: Carolyn Ibeh

                                Leye Omitola


General Secretary-: Emmanuel Otobo

                              Adesina Adegbite



Publicity Secretary-: Benjamin Barnes Arekameh

                                 Memuna Esegine
 

Social Secretary-: Gbenga Ajayi

                            Titilayo Osagie

Auditor-: Pat Nkechi Ume-Okechukwu

      Silver Nelly Ajalaye


Welfare Secretary-: Samson Omodara
 
Financial Secretary-: Olusegun Fatoki

Treasurer-: Carol Ibharuneafe

Interestingly, the last three offices (Welfare Secretary, Financial Secretary and Treasurer) have attracted only a candidate each, with the implication that the candidates therein would be returned by the Electoral Committee unopposed.
 
For the office of Auditor, it is not clear yet whether there would be any contest, since as at press time, the Electoral Committee had not cleared any of the two contestants to run in the elections.
 
Geckos informed the Squib that while Ume-Okechukwu may be stopped on account of the unfavourable finding of the General Secretary on her nomination, specifically on the issue of attendance of monthly meetings, Silver-Ajalaye, her opponent, is not having it smooth with the Electoral Committee because of a petition against her by Ume-Okechukwu. However if the two candidates get cleared for the election, informed watchers of the NBA  Ikeja political scene believe that Silver-Ajalaye may more likely win the race.
 
Though younger at the Bar (2007) than Ume-Okechukwu (1999) Silver Ajalaye appears more visible in the Ikeja Bar and her recent elevation to the Chairmanship of the Young Lawyer’s Forum of the Tiger has greatly increased that visibility and acceptability, especially among the younger members of the Bar.
 
In addition, the structural support behind Silver Ajalaye’s political bid for the post of Auditor, analysts say, appears stronger and more entrenched than Ume-Okechukwu’s pillar.
 
The only known backer of Ume-Okechukwu is her former boss, Niyi Akinmola who is a Chairmanship candidate in the May 7th 2012 elections. On the other hand, Silver-Ajalaye’s backer is the Progressive Caucus in the Tiger Bar, easily the most experienced and vastly connected of its type in the Tiger Bar.
 
SOCIAL SECRETARY
 
Observers contend that the contest between Gbenga Ajayi and Titilayo Osagie would be tough, and the winner may not be known until the final whistle is blown. Osagie, a two time loser in previous contests for the office of General Secretary in 2008 and 2010 has, wisely in some observers’ view decided to test her luck in the less vital office of Social Secretary and may just strike gold this time around. With a fairly strong presence in female lawyers fora and the possibility of attracting sympathy votes Osagie can reasonably hope for success at the polls.
 
However Gbenga Ajayi, her opponent a grass roots Bar man and an easy mixer, backed by the formidable Progressive Caucus also stands a good chance of continuing the tradition of progressive candidates beating Osagie, particularly so as Osagie is now standing on a borrowed political forum, different from her traditional support in the form of the NIYI IDOWU group, a break away faction of the Progressive Caucus and which has since the 2010 election dwindled in force, influence and participation.
 
PUBLICITY SECRETARY
 
Geckos report to the Squib that until April 2nd 2012, Memuna Esgine had believed she would be returned unopposed in the office of Publicity Secretary she aspired to occupy. To her shock however she discovered from the General Secretary’s Report that she would have to sweat it out with a rival, Benjamin Barnes Arekameh.
 
Called to the Bar in 1992, and fairly well known in the Ikeja Bar, an elegant Esegine should ordinarily find it easy to over-run Arekameh the much younger male colleague since the factors of seniority, visibility and gender appear to be in her favour. However as it is well known, politics is not 2+2 = 4.
 
Political alignment and strategy count for much in political contest and these factors may swing the votes in favour of the young, warm and sharp Benjamin Barnes Arekameh, who determinedly cast his lot with the Progressive Caucus and does a lot of underground campaign himself; while refusing to be intimidated or persuaded out of the race by the supporters of his rival. Who are making unnecessary fuss over the fact that both Arekameh and Esegine are from the same local government in Edo State
 
GENERAL SECRETARY
 
If Emmanuel Otobo wins the election into the office of General Secretary of the Tiger Bar, against Adesina Adegbite, he would have caused a major upset in the Elections. Squib findings, as at press time indicate that, Otobo’s opponent Adegbite, former Assistant General Secretary (2008 -2010) and incumbent Financial Secretary and one of the candidates fielded by the Progressive Caucus is too far ahead in the lead.
 
Adegbite an easy mixer, vigorous and well known in the Private and official Bars is much more visible than Otobo, a relatively quieter personality, who came last two years ago in the contest to occupy the same post of General Secretary.
 
The real hope of any tangible impact at the polls for Otobo is for him to get block votes of those supporting the leader of his political group, Monday Ubani who is running for Chairman; even then the formidability of his opponent is such that, the “block votes” would be split, while Otobo will find it an uphill task to make inroads into the camp of those rooting for Adegbite.
 
2ND VICE CHAIRMAN
 
The contestants here in are no strangers to each other. In 2010, both had jostled for the post of Treasurer.  Success went Carolyn Ibeh’s way. Will history repeat itself?
 
Signals suggest that the contest here will be close but with Ibeh having a better chance of winning, considering the fact that in 2010, Leye Omitola was a sitting member of the Executive Committee and got defeated by Ibeh.
 
Well known in female lawyers’ circles, the lively and amiable Ibeh speaks Yoruba so well that only a few, hearing her talk, can realize that ethnically she is Igbo. This reality is crucial in an election year in which ethnicity has been brought into play.
 
Again while Ibeh has remained faithful to her traditional camp the Progressive Caucus, Omitola has shifted from the Niyi Akinmola group, his base in the 2010 election, to the Monday Ubani group.
 
 The shift certainly does not endear Omitola to the Akinmola group and may thus hurt his appeal to the electorate.
 
1ST VICE CHAIRMAN
 
Though there are three contestants in this category, to wit Terry Badmus Adeniji, Adesina Ogunlana and Charles Biyi Oguntuga, only the first two appear to be taken seriously by the electorate.
 
Incidentally both Terry Adeniji and Oguntuga had in 2010 contested the position with Yinka Farounbi the incumbent 1st Vice-Chairman. While Badmus lost gallantly with only 25 votes, Oguntuga lost woefully, scoring less than 20% of the total votes cast. From all indications, Oguntuga would repeat the lesson of 2010 being the least visible of the three contestants and lacking the support of any strong political platform.
 
Decidedly then, the contest is between Terry Badmos Adeniji and Adesina Ogunlana. However if pre-elections views and sentiments of the voting public are anything to go by, the odds favour Ogunlana over Adeniji. In many quarters, Ogunlana, the very highly visible incumbent General-Secretary of the Ikeja Bar and a Progressive Caucus chieftain is believed to have a political appeal that cuts across all the major tendencies in the Ikeja Bar.
 
This reality will work hard against Adeniji’s success at the polls even though he is no push-over and is not an unknown in the Ikeja Bar.
 
CHAIRMAN
 
Just like in the 1st Vice-Chairman position, contest in this category is a three way affair. The candidates are Niyi Akinmola, Yinka Farounbi and Monday Ubani.
 
Pundits are finding it hard to predict who of the trio will win the elections, although it appears that the odds favour Monday Ubani and Yinka Farounbi more than Niyi Akinmola.
 
Ironically Akinmola is a ‘senior’ to both Ubani and Farounbi in the business of contesting for the post of chairman of N.B.A Ikeja.
 
In 2008 when he first showed his interest, the electoral committee eliminated him for insufficient qualification requirements. In 2010 he vied with Dele Oloke and Adebamigbe Omole and came up second in the race, losing the first place to Adebamigbe Omole with a 54 vote margin.
 
Long estranged from his original political family, the Progressive Caucus and now hugely diminished in his own created political clan (the likes of Terry Adeniji, Emmanuel Otobo, Leye Omitola were with him in 2010), Akinmola may be entering the winter of his political life at the Ikeja Bar, as his only viable political asset and weapon to capture the Chairmanship post now, remains his burning desire to become the leader of the Ikeja Bar, an asset that is plainly not enough, as the voters are looking more in the direction both Farounbi and Ubani to crown king.
 
Monday Onyekachi Ubani, is considered a strong contender for the post of Chairman. Indications show that he started his campaign (whispering and personal contact level) as long ago as 2010, with the campaigns getting much louder and bolder early 2012 when he extended it to electronic media, where he severally announced his intention to run for the office of the Chairman of the N.B.A Ikeja and soliciting for the support of the members of the public in this regard.
 
A check on the political camp of Monday Ubani, shows that majority of his open supporters are of the Igbo ethnicity  to which he belongs and this indicates that he is likely to receive ethnically based block votes in the elections.
 
Ubani, a voluble, warm but overtly assertive personality has caught the imagination of not a few of the younger members of the Bar who see him as a dynamic personality that can turn things around if elected chairman. The only snag in this proposition is that the Ikeja Bar is not a basket case or a poorly run branch that would warrant the emergence of a Hercules to the rescue.
 
With the older and more mature voters, the Ubani candidacy does not engender much excitement. His yawning inexperience in Bar leadership (he has never held any executive committee post) perennial television and radio canvassing and his donning of a wig and gown over a T-shirt during the January 9-16  2012 wide spread demonstration during the Anti Fuel Price Hike Protest has not impressed him with majority of the “oldies” as a candidate worthy to lead the Tiger Bar.
 
In spite of all these perceived drawbacks, Ubani may yet win the elections, should ethnic consideration of candidates (spell: tribe is thicker than merit) play a strong hand in the contest. While both Akinmola and Farounbi are Yorubas and set mates of both the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife (1992) and the Nigerian Law School (1993) Ubani is Igbo and graduated in 1990. Thus while Ubani can hope for a block vote from his Igbo brothers and sisters and still pick some valuable Yoruba votes, Farounbi and Akinmola will share the Yoruba votes, thus in danger of cancelling themselves out for an Ubani emergence.
 
Yinka Farounbi, the third but certainly not the least of the contenders also stands a very good chance of becoming the next chairman of the Ikeja Bar. Arguably, the calmest and most polite of the three contenders, Farounbi’s approach to winning the race is distinct and strategically more inclusive than his rivals.
 
While the duo of Akinmola and Ubani are relying heavily on their personal abilities and resources to win the election, Farounbi has anchored his ambition on the crest of his political family the Progressive Caucus, shrewdly led by Oludare Akande, a.k.a Leader, the former 1st Vice-Chairman of the Branch.
 
The PC with its vast political networks and inter-webbed influence and connections in and outside the Ikeja Bar and which has been in effective control of the power corridor of the Ikeja bar since at least 2002, can only be underrated and ignored by the most reckless of opponents.
 
The main strength of the PC is that all the leaders of the Ikeja Bar it has churned out in the past eight years to wit Adekunle Ojo, Niyi Idowu, Dave Ajetomobi and lately Adebamigbe Omole, have proved to be highly successful Chairmen who have catapulted the Ikeja Bar to greater heights than they met it.
 
Farounbi, the preferred candidate of the PC, the incumbent 1st Vice-Chairman of the Branch has the richest cognate experience to lead the Bar amongst the contenders. In the past he has been Auditor, Financial Secretary, and Assistant General Secretary. He is also the current Chairman of the Human Rights Committee and has been Chairman of Conference Planning Committee, Secretary Building Committee and member of the Gani Fawehinmi Committee.
 
Also of the three candidates, his chances of winning is the most improved. A few months ago, the leading candidates appeared to be Ubani and Akinmola, but when the political machinery of the P.C came to full throttle, it was a matter of time before the erstwhile race leaders began to weary and falter. Recently an embattled Ubani agonised openly “Ha it is not easy to fight an incumbent.”
 
So strong has Farounbi become in the race, that Ubani may find on D-Day that his expectation of an Igbo block vote in support of his ambition has been dashed miserably by the wide incursion of Farounbi into his territory. The fact is that notable members of the Bar, who are not Yorubas but South-Easterners are rooting for a Farounbi Chairmanship believing that he is the most stable, credible and experienced of the contenders.
 
Thus while Akinmola can hope to get his votes mainly from the Yoruba stock and some scant Igbo votes and Ubani can hope to get his votes mainly from the Igbo stock and a few Yoruba votes, Farounbi who has always been part of the architects of the success story of the Ikeja Bar since at least year 2000 can reasonably hope for votes from every corner and part of the Bar.