ZONING & THE NBA ELECTIONS

“Zoning” is not just peculiar to the general elections in Nigeria. It is also a part of the Nigerian Bar (the Bar) Election. However, while zoning is a matter of internal party democracy in Nigerian elections, it is mandatory and backed by law in the NBA elections, especially with respect to the offices of the President and Secretary. The Presidency of the Bar is rotated among the three regions of the Bar-The North, West and East. All 36 states fall under these three Zones, it is best to call it Bars, like, the Northern Bar, the Eastern Bar and the Western Bar.

(a) Northern Bar – Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna,

Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba,

Yobe, Zamfara, and Abuja;

(b) Eastern Bar– Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Enugu, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Cross

River, Imo, and Rivers; and

(c) Western Western Bar – Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo.

When any election approaches, the big question is, which of these bars is to produce the President. The reason for this question is simply because only that bar will be allowed to present candidates for the presidency.

In the 2016 election, it was the turn of the Northern Nigerian bar to produce the NBA president, and so the candidates were Chief Joe Kyari Gadzama, SAN (Borno state), Abubakar Balarabe Mahmoud, SAN (Kano state), and the latter emerged winner. In 2018, it was the turn of the Eastern Nigerian Bar which comprise of all South Eastern states. The candidates were, Ernest Ojukwu, SAN (Abia State), Arthur Obi Okafor, SAN (Anambra State) and Paul Usoro, SAN (Akwa Ibom), and the latter emerged winner of the election.

Then came the turn of the Western Nigerian Bar in 2020. Thus, the candidates for that year were Mr. Olumide Akpata (Edo State), Babatunde Ajibade,  SAN, Dele Adesina, SAN (both of Ekiti State), and the election had as its winner, Mr. Olumide Apkata.

Power went back to the Northern Bar in 2022, which had Mr. Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, SAN (Kebbi State), Mr. Joe Kyari Gadzama, SAN (Borno State) and Mr Jonathan Taidi (Niger State) as candidates, with Maikyau winning the election.

From the above sequence, it is obvious that the 2024 election would again be the turn of the Eastern Bar, and it would not be different.

We await the intending aspirants from the Eastern Nigerian Bar to formally declare their intention to run for the seat, although from all indication the major front runners are Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN (Anambra), Chukwuka Ikwuazom (Enugu), SAN and Mr Tobbena Erojikwe (Anambra).