Election: Two Lawyers Sue Kano NBA
By Abdullah Yusuf
Two Kano-based legal practitioners, Barrister Ahmad Sani Bawa and Barrister Gidado Aliyu Gidado, have filed a lawsuit against the Kano State branch of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) seeking a legal interpretation on whether it has the authority to disallow or disqualify lawyers who have paid the mandatory current Bar Practising Fee and have a 10-year post-call standing from contesting an election based on their succeeding anniversary.
Joined in the suit as defendants include Isma’il Abdul’ziz, (Chairman Electoral Committee NBA, Kano Branch, 2024 and Zainab Bello, Secretary Electoral Committee, Kano NBA, 2024.
According to the Application, Barrister Bawa and Barrister Gidado said they are suing for themselves and and on behalf of all concerned members of NBA Kano Branch whose political interest was affected by the release of the guideline of the NBA Kano Election, 2024.
The Applicants through their legal representative, Barrister Muhammad Sani Muhammad, approached the Federal High Court, Kano Number 3 with an Exparte Application with a sole prayer as follows:
“An order of interim injunction restraining the Defendants either by themselves, their appointees, their privies, assigned members, committees, group by whatever name called from disallowing and disqualifying Lawyers who have their mandatory current Bar Practising Fee as lawyers for 10 years post call standing to contest election on the basis of succeeding Anniversary, pending the hearing and determination of the Applicants’ motion on notice before the court”.
The presiding Judge, Justice Simon Amobeda after hearing the exparte application, consquently refused to grant the prayer, but ordered that the Respondents to be put on Notice for them to appear in the next adjourned date and show cause why prayer by the Applicants shouldn’t be granting interim.
Justice Amobeda similarly ordered that the order and processes should be served on the Respondents before next adjourned date.
He slated 6th June, 2024 for hearing.
