NBA presidency: Gadzama, Mahmoud canvass for votes at Lagos branch

Two leading aspirants for the presidency of the Nigerian Bar Association NBA), Chief J. K. Gadzama (SAN) and Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) have given reasons why they should be the preferred candidates in the forthcoming general elections to elect the next president for Africa’s largest Bar.

The NBA will in July elect a new president to succeed the incumbent, Mr. Augustine Alegeh (SAN) who assumed office in August 2014. There was an unwritten understanding within the Bar that the leadership should rotate among the three geographical zones, namely Eastern, Western and Northern zones.

The zoning arrangement has now been cemented by the amended NBA Constitution, 2015. Section 2.2 (b) of the Second Schedule to the constitution provides that “The positions of the President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, 3rd Vice President and General Secretary shall rotate among the three zones. In determining the eligibility of a candidate to contest for any of the rotated offices, regard shall be to a candidate’s geographical zone of origin and not the geographical zone where he/she carries on legal practice.”

Speaking at the recent monthly general meeting of NBA Lagos branch, Mr. Mahmoud noted that he had held several professional positions including his role as former Solicitor-General of Kano State. He was also at various times Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kano State as well as member, Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee.

He said he would run a “thoroughly professional Bar,” adding that his leadership would tackle the recent odium being heaped on lawyers for alleged complicity in derailing the anti-corruption fight by instilling discipline within the association.

On his part, Chief Gadzama urged members to recall his record as a consummate Bar-man in electing him as the next NBA President. “You know me, I know you; we are not strangers to one another,” he said.