As
the centre of the storm is Adesina Ogunlana, the clear cut winner of the 2016 chairmanship
of the Ikeja Branch election. While Ogunlana polled 94 votes, his opponents, Bartholomew Aguegbodo and Gloria Nweze,
polled 53 and 51 votes respectively.
Prior
to his election, the Election Monitoring Group of the Nigerian Bar Association holding
a retrospective view of Section 6(3) of the Uniform Bye-Law of Branches of the
NBA 2015 had instructed the disqualification of both Adesina Ogunlana and
Gloria Nweze from the chairmanship race on the ground that both had run foul of
the section which provides as follows: “No member of the Branch shall occupy the same
office for more than two (2) years (one term); and any member who has held
elective offices as a Branch officer for two (2) terms shall not be eligible to
contest for a Branch office until at least five(5) years after his/her last
term of office”.
However
the Electoral Committee of the Ikeja Branch holding prospective view of Section
6(3) and exclusively saddled with the determination of eligibility of
candidates in the election by virtue of Section 15(5) of the Uniform Bye-Law rejected
the instruction and cleared both Ogunlana and Nweze to run. Section 15(5)
provides as follows: “The Election Committee’s decision as to
eligibility of any candidate to stand for election shall be final”.
Ogunlana
won the election hands down on 13th June 2016, claiming 48%
percentage of the valid votes cast. On the 14th June 2016; he was
sworn in with other executives at the Annual General meeting of the Bar.
On
the 16th June 2016, the President of the N.B.A sitting as the
Chairman of the National Executive Committee, relying on the report of the Dafe
Akpedeye Committee report, declared Ogunlana’s election null and appointed
Nurudeen Ogbara former chairman of the NBA Ikorodu Branch to conduct election
into the office of the Chairman NBA Ikeja within a week from the time of
appointment.
Ogunlana
kicked against the president’s orders and approached the court on the 20th
June in suit no LD/1141GCM/16 Adesina
Ogunlana vs The Registered Trustees of Nigerian Bar Association and 4ors seeking
the nullification of the president’s directive as well as obtaining restrictive
injunction against the Defendants including Nurudeen Ogbara the president’s cats-paw.
Despite
being duly served with the various processes in Ogunlana’s suit, Nurudeen
Ogbara continued with his work, claiming he was yet to see any restraining
order of court against him.
At
the hearing of the first application for interim injunction on 22nd
June, 2016, the learned trial Judge, A. M. Lawal J of the Lagos High Court,
declined the grant, ordering instead that the Claimant put the Defendants on
notice. All arguments to persuade the impressively circumspect Judge to grant
the interim injunction failed, with the Judge expressing strong disbelief that
legal practitioners having notice of pending suit against them would proceed
with actions that would offend the Judicial position in cases like Ojukwu and
Governor of Lagos State.
The
Judge’s position hardened when his Lordship noticed that there was no evidence
before the court that Ogbara the pronounced executor of the NBA president’s
order had taken any steps at that point in time towards the achievement of his
brief. Little wonder then that the Judge in his ruling stated that there was no
urgency in the reliefs sought before the court.
On
Thursday 23rd June 2016 Ogbara who styled himself 'Election
Facilitator into the office of The Chairman of N.B.A Ikeja Branch' rolled out
his programme of action. According to the one-man Electoral Committee,
nominations would open Friday 24th June 2016 and would close on Monday
27th June 2016. On the same 27th June 2016, screening of
candidates would be done and the Elections would subsequently hold on Wednesday
29th June 2016.
On
the 27th June 2016, as directed by the honourable court, Ogunlana
caused to be served on the defendants, Ogbara (4th Defendants)
inclusive, his fresh application for interim injunction upon the failure of the
earlier one filed on the 20th. Ogbara was served by Sheriff of court
at the Ikeja Bar centre in the midst of screening candidates for the proposed
election of 29th June, 2016.
After
the service of the latest processes of Ogunlana (now having exhibits evidencing
clear evidence that Ogbara would hold his election on the 29th June,
2016 two days ahead the 1st July return date of the case), on Ogbara
as well as the Hearing Notice, pure magic on the side of the “Election
Facilitator” took place.
At
about 6.30 on the 27th June 2016, the very interesting news via SMS came to members of the Ikeja Bar that one Prince Dele Oloke, a member known
for persistent unsuccessful electoral runs in the Branch, since 2002 had been
returned unopposed. According to the broadcast authored by Nurudeen Ogbara,
seven (unnamed) candidates were screened, while one was disqualified, five of
the remaining six, stepped down for Dele Oloke, who Ogbara on the Screening day
and not Election Day, declared “returned
unopposed.” The announcement ended with the news that Oloke would be sworn
in as Chairman on Wednesday 29th June 2016.
The
announcement was a clear political move and calculated to be a sucker punch to
the solar plexus of the Ogunlana camp; for it meant that the Ogunlana
application for interim injunction to restrain the Defendants from conducting
elections had been over-taken by events and as such neutralised. If the deadly
Ogbara shot had been directed at a lesser camp, it would have served the
purpose of a knock-out. However the Ogunlana camp, comprising of bonded
intellectual activists and veterans of Bar politics handled the danger smoothly
and with aplomb.
Within
an hour of the Ogbara news 'bomb,' the progressives fired back and repeatedly on the
air-waves denying any Ogunlana complicity or participation in the Kangaroo
schemes that produced Oloke as “Chairman elect.”
They
also used the Ogbara SMS message as the meat of a further affidavit in support
of the Claimant’s application. Composed, sure-footed and graceful under fire,
the Ogunlana camp presented a formidable legal team which finally at the
eleventh hour on June 28, 2016 persuaded the Judge to grant an order
specifically restraining the Defendant from swearing or causing to be sworn in Prince
Dele Oloke or any other person. The honourable court also ordered that status
quo between the parties be maintained as 20th June 2016 when the
claimant filed his Originating Summons.
Despite
the clear orders of Court, it soon became well known that the Dele Oloke would
very much like to be sworn in on the 29th June, just a few hours
away then.
True
to type, Oloke and his supporters actually came to the Bar Secretariat for the
swearing in at about 10.30am in the morning of 29th June 2016. However
that activity did not take place for two major reasons. The first was that
Ogbara the “Election Facilitator” upon having notice of Justice Lawal’s orders,
stayed away. Second, was that Oloke and his crowd suddenly discovered the
secretariat unserviceable that morning. It was not opened on the orders of
Ogunlana who later explained the compelling reason for the manouever which was to
avoid or minimize violence or physical confrontation amongst members of the
Branch and also prevent damage to the Branch properties, a situation most
likely to happen should Oloke’s proposed violation of the Court Order happened
at the Secretariat and in the public glare.
However
there are faint rumors making the rounds of Oloke being dragged to a roadside
kiosk ipebi not too far from the Ikeja High Court by a few ardent
supporters and sworn-in secretly by a person whose identity is shrouded in mystery
till date. At about 1.00pm when it appeared that heat had died down, Ogunlana
upon consultation which certain elders of the Branch present caused the
secretariat opened.
On
Friday 1st July 2016, 1st – 4th Defendants
were represented in court “on protest” by some counsel led by Afolabi Fashanu
S.A.N. Interestingly enough, the 4th Defendant’s Preliminary
Objection to the Claimant’s suit was filed and signed by Dele Oloke! It was on
the strength of this P.O that Afolabi Fashanu S.A.N. urged the court to
temporize on the matter until his Lordship determined the issue of
Jurisdiction. Ademola Adewale for the claimant urged the court not to fold its
hands and watch the subject matter of the litigation erode because of the
defendants objection to the jurisdiction of court.
In
its ruling, the Court agreed with Adewale and renewed its earlier orders
directing maintenance of status quo as at 20th June, 2016 and
restraining the Defendant from swearing in Dele Oloke, pending the
determination of the Preliminary Objection. The matter was adjourned to 21st
July 2016.
Away
from the court room wars, Adesina Ogunlana the new chief Tiger has been
contending with a largely rebellious cabinet comprised mainly of gentlemen in
skirts. Notable opposition bordering on hatred against the chairman is
exhibited openly by Muna Esegine the Secretary, a devotee of Dele Oloke.
Five days after the purported nullification of Ogunlana’s election, Esegine
obviously believing that Ogunlana has met his irredeemable Waterloo sharply
told the chairman on phone “see Mr. Ogunlana, you are not my chairman.
Before we left for Benin you were the chairman and I obeyed your instructions
but all of us were present at Benin and we all knew what happened. If you tell
me you now have a case in court, do you have an injunction? You are not my
chairman.” Another open resenter of the chairman is the Treasurer,
Thelma Coco-Bassey who ironicaly enough was encouraged into participation in
the leadership cadre of the Tiger Bar two years ago in part by Ogunlana.
From
all indications, the man in the eye of the storm is unfazed by the hostile
environment surrounding his leadership, digging deep into his reservoir of
political experience to cope and even excel in the situation. In a meeting he
had with the other members of his executive on Wednesday 29th June,
2016 at about 4.00pm, he counselled thus “I am your chairman. Gentlemen we
need to accommodate ourselves because we all have to work together for the next
two years. I am sure that not all of you voted for me during the election and
it is not all of you too that I voted for but here we are together and we need
to work together for the good of our people, irrespective of feelings.”
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