Jigawa NBA threatens to boycott of conference if withdrawal of el-Rufai’s invitation is not rescinded

Yusuf Bello| The Jigawa branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has threatened to boycott the annual conference of the organisation over the withdrawal of the invitation extended to Nasir el-Rufai, Kaduna governor, to speak at the conference.

The Jigawa NBA describes as unfair the decision to withdrew the governor’s invitation following a petition by some lawyers under the aegis of Open Bar Initiative.

In a statement on Thursday, Garba Abubakar, chairman of the Jigawa NBA branch, who described the allegations against El-Rufai as frivolous, said if the decision is not rescinded, they would boycott the annual conference.

Abubakar said, “The Nigerian Bar Association Dutse Branch disagrees with the position of the national executive committee of the association held this evening, in its resolve to withdraw the earlier invitation sent to Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, the executive governor of Kaduna state to participate as a guest speaker in the forthcoming annual general conference of the association scheduled to take place from August 26-29, 2020 based on frivolous allegations.”

“The decision is quite unfair as the allegation against the governor has nothing to do with the NEC or NBA at large. Worse still, the governor has not been given the opportunity to defend himself on the allegations raised against him by a group within the association, before the resolution of this magnitude was reached against him. as the Nigerian Bar Association belongs to all.

“The motto of the association is promoting the ‘Rule of Law’ prudence and justice, therefore, demands that he be given the opportunity to defend himself before taking any decision that affects him.

“If complaints are to be judged on their face value and without due process, similar treatment is to [be] given to Governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike who has serious allegations of abuse of human rights against him to the extent of the demolition of residential houses and place of worship without observing due process.

“On the strength of this, therefore, we call on the national body under President Usoro SAN to reverse the decision with immediate effect, else, the Nigerian Bar Association Dutse Branch will boycott the virtual annual general conference taking place in a few days to come.”