appeal panel rules that nba constitution does not prohibit a nominator from endorsing two candidates for the same position
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Branch Elections Appeal Committee (North) has overturned the decision of the Electoral Committee (ELCOM) of the NBA Kano Branch, restoring two disqualified aspirants contesting for the office of Branch Secretary in the forthcoming 2026 branch elections.
The ruling was delivered during the Committee’s sitting held on May 2, 2026, under the chairmanship of Abdul Atadoga Ibrahim.
The panel also included senior members of the legal profession and Life Benchers, among them Murtala A Kankia, Garba L Hudu, Sanusi Musa, and Gloria Okuduwa.
The appeals were separately filed by Sani Maiyaki Maisamari and Tajudeen Akanbi Abdullahi after both candidates were disqualified by the NBA Kano Branch ELCOM over what was described as “double nomination” by one nominator, Ramoni Adewale Kasali.
According to the appellants, they had fulfilled all constitutional requirements necessary to contest the election, including payment of Bar Practising Fees, Branch Dues, Welfare Dues, attendance at branch meetings, and submission of completed nomination forms within the stipulated timeline.
The ELCOM had argued that both aspirants were invalidly nominated because the same individual endorsed their candidacies for the same office.
However, after reviewing the appeals and documentary evidence, the Appeal Committee held that the NBA Constitution contains no express provision prohibiting one nominator from supporting two candidates for the same position.
The Committee further ruled that the ELCOM exceeded its powers by introducing considerations not specifically provided for under the NBA Constitution and electoral guidelines.
According to the panel, the duty of the ELCOM is limited to verifying compliance with the constitutional requirements outlined in Paragraph 14(2) of the Bye-Law for Branches under the Third Schedule to the NBA Constitution 2015, as amended in 2025.
The Appeal Committee also found that both aspirants were otherwise qualified to contest the election and that their disqualification lacked constitutional backing.
In its final decision, the panel allowed both appeals and ordered the immediate restoration of the candidates to the list of qualified aspirants for the office of Branch Secretary.
“The appeal is hereby allowed and the decision of the NBA Kano ELCOM is hereby set aside,” the Committee ruled.
The panel directed the NBA Kano Branch Electoral Committee to comply immediately by reinstating the names of Sani Maiyaki Maisamari and Tajudeen Akanbi Abdullahi on the final list of qualified candidates.
The ruling is expected to shape discussions around internal electoral procedures and constitutional interpretation within NBA branch elections nationwide.
