The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Badagry Branch has appealed to the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA) to ensure that a greater majority of its members are not disenfranchised by what the Chairman of the Branch Mr. Chigbo Okafor referred to as a “deliberate attempt and/or an omission on the part of IT Partners to side-line the members of my branch from the entire electoral process”.
In a letter dated 4th August 2014 the branch condemned the entire process and demand that the entire exercise be reevaluated. The Chairman noted that both him and the secretary of the branch form part of the over 90% of the members of the branch who are yet to be verified for voting during the election.
“The above subject matter refers, I write to officially intimate you of the situation report regarding the ongoing verification exercise of the eligible voters with particular reference to my branch, the Badagry branch”
“Sir, let it be on record that the executive under my leadership has done everything humanly possible to ensure that our members are verified so as to take part in the forthcoming NBA national elections.”
“However, for obvious reasons, only a handful of not more than 10% of the members of my branch as at 4th day of August are able to get verified notwithstanding the invaluable time, resources and energy already dissipated for the past five days on this singular exercise all in an effort to get my members verified’
“The situation is so bad and perhaps very frustrating that as the Chairman, I am yet to be verified, the same position goes for my immediate two predecessors as well as the Secretaries and other 90% of NBA Badagry branch members. With due respect Sir, I have reasonable grounds to believe that there is a deliberate attempt and/or an omission on the part of IT Partners to side-line the members of my branch from the entire electoral process.”
“We have availed ourselves all the opportunities available for necessary assistance to no avail including resort to help lines and ticket requests.”
“In the face of the foregoing, it is our candid appeal that the electoral committee take urgent steps to redress the ills likely to be occasioned by the incompetency or inadequacy of the service providers that is likely to disenfranchise a large percentage of the eligible voters from my branch.”
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