Amnesty International stressed that the Nigerian Bar Association is an independent professional body and not an agency or department of government.
Global human rights organisation, the Amnesty International has warned the administration of President Bola Tinubu against any attempts to interfere in the forthcoming national elections of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
The organisation, which gave the warning in a statement issued on Friday, July 10, said any such move would undermine the independence of the legal profession and the rule of law.
Amnesty International expressed deep concern over purported directives allegedly issued by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), regarding the conduct of the NBA elections.
The alleged directives include the disbandment of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), postponement of the elections, termination of the association's current election service provider, establishment of a caretaker committee, introduction of National Identification Number (NIN) verification for voters, and the "recalibration" of the NBA Constitution to remove universal suffrage.
