One of the disqualified aspirant for the position of Publicity Secretary in the forthcoming Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Elections, Mr. Felix Ashimole (a.ka. Che Oyinatumba) has appealed his disqualification.
In an earlier publication, DNL Legal and Style had reported that the reason given by the ECNBA for disqualifying Mr. Ashimole was that his Nominator did not provide evidence of payment of his Branch Dues for 2021 and the aspirant failed to provide a satisfactory answer to the irregularity at the further screening interview with the electoral committee.
However, in his appeal, Mr. Ashimole countered the above and accuse the ECNBA of bias.
Below is his appeal
Below, is my Appeal to NBA Electoral Appeal Committee;
To NBA Electoral Appeal Committee,
Dear Sir, 28/05/2022.
RE: 2022 ELECTIONS OF NATIONAL OFFICERS OF THE NBA AND NBA REPRESENTATIVES TO
THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF THE BAR – NOTICE OF DISQUALIFICATION.
1.The email of disqualification was received in my spam today, 28th day of May 2022.
2.That I am contesting for the office of Publicity Secretary and duly completed a nomination form in that respect and not the office of Assistant General Secretary as indicated in the disqualification letter.
3.That on May 10th May, 2022, I was invited for a Zoom meeting for further screening. At this Zoom meeting, I did not meet any Committee member but was interrogated by two ladies, who told me that my sealed form had been opened in my absence, no video of the opening made or shown to me.
4.They informed me that 2021 Local Due Receipt of my 1st nominator, Mr. Mohammed lyorember Tsav, the immediate past chairman of NBA Bwari, my Branch, did not attach local Branch Due of 2021.
5.That my response was that I am shocked at this and asked the ladies, what should I do in the circumstance? They told me that the Committee will get back to me.
6.That I re-sent the said mysteriously missing due to the Committee via info@ecnba.ng. The copy of the email is annexed as F1.
7.That ECNBA did not reply my email, did not send me any letter, did not send any SMS or WhatsApp message to me.
8.That ECNBA instead forwarded me a petition by one Mr. Kayode Bello, a law school drop out. I responded to the said petition but ECNBA, did not communicate to me the outcome of my response to Mr. Bello’s petition.
9.That I never received any letter of disqualification from ECNBA when other candidates received or were cleared.
10.That on 27th May,2022, I sent an email to ECNBA asking what is my status, whether I am qualified or not, having not received any letter from ECNBA.
11.ECNBA merely sent me a copy of the reply they sent to Mr. Bello telling him that his petition had no merit and was dismissed.
12.That today 28th May, 2022 after I wrote to ECNBA on 27th May, complaining of the list “List of Properly Nominated Candidates” ECNBA sent me an email, of notice of disqualification for the office of Assistant General Secretary, dated 20th May, 2022, giving me 7 days to appeal to Appeal Committee.
Dear Sir, It is against equity and good conscience to disqualify me as Assistant General Secretary contender instead of the post of Publicity Secretary, which I am eminently qualified for.
13.That the disqualification sent to me is mischievous and not in compliance with the NBA Constitution and Electoral Guidelines published by ECNBA. That the non-submission of receipt of a nominator who paid is not a constitutional condition to disqualify me as my nominator paid as when due like me.
14.I hereby humbly pray to you the Appeal Committee, to reverse this unjustifiable, uncalled for, unreasonable decision of ECNBA to disqualify me for an office I did not apply for.
15.I further pray that you compel ECNBA to declare me as qualified, fit and proper candidate for the office of Publicity Secretary and not Assistant General Secretary as contained in the letter of disqualification sent to me, having met all requirements and re-submitted Mr. Mohammed lyorember Tsav’s mysteriously 2021 local due, which I duly submitted along with other documents in a properly sealed envelope.
Accept the assurances of my highest professional regards.
Expressing his dissatisfaction on the issues surrounding his disqualification, Mr. Ashimole wrote:
Bias: I have had communication with the Electoral Committee of NBA (ECNBA), using my official è-mail oyimnatumba92@yahoo.com and had received reply from ECNBA’s info@ecnba.ng
But ECNBA sent my “disqualification letter” to oyimnatumba29@yahoo.com.