Victor Ifeanyichukwu Okonkwo, a legal practitioner from Owerri, Imo State, has filed a suit against the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and its Elections Committee (ECNBA) at the Imo State High Court in the Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Judicial Division, challenging alleged violations of the NBA’s zoning policy for national office elections.
The suit, marked HMI/90/2025, seeks to enforce strict compliance with the NBA Constitution’s micro-zoning provisions to ensure equitable representation across states.
Okonkwo, a member of the NBA Owerri Branch, argues that the NBA’s failure to rotate key national offices—such as President, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Vice Presidents, and General Secretary—among all states within each geographical zone contravenes Part IV, Sections 4 and 5 of the NBA Constitution, 2021 (as amended). He contends that certain states, like Anambra in the Eastern Zone and Edo in the Western Zone, have disproportionately produced national officers, sidelining others like Imo, Bayelsa, and Cross River.
Filed via originating summons, the suit questions whether the NBA and ECNBA can exercise discretion to bypass the constitutional requirement for micro-zoning, which mandates the rotation of national offices among states within each zone (Northern, Eastern, and Western). Okonkwo, who aspires to contest for the office of General Secretary in 2026 when the position is zoned to the Eastern Zone, seeks several reliefs, including:
Okonkwo’s affidavit highlights disparities in representation. For instance, Anambra State has produced five NBA Presidents, including the current President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, while Imo, Bayelsa, and Cross River have produced none. Similarly, Edo State has produced the last two Presidents from the Western Zone—Augustine Alegeh, SAN, and Olumide Akpata. He names three Anambra aspirants—Okey Ohagba, Esq., Dr. Rapuluchukwu Nduka, Esq., and Afam Okeke, Esq.—who intend to run for General Secretary in 2026, arguing that their candidacy would violate zoning principles if allowed.
The plaintiff’s counsel, led by Emeka Nwagwu, SAN, cites judicial precedents such as Lado & Ors v. CPC & Ors (2011) and Johnson v. Eze (2021), which affirm that the constitutions of associations are binding on their members. They argue that the use of the word “shall” in Part IV, Section 4 of the NBA Constitution imposes a mandatory obligation to rotate offices, as reinforced by cases like Buhari v. INEC (2008) and Udak Etim Okon v. Ekaette Udak Okon (2016). The suit emphasizes that micro-zoning promotes inclusivity and prevents the concentration of power in a few states, thereby fostering unity within the NBA.
The case also coincides with growing concerns about the emergence of a potential splinter group of legal practitioners, as noted by the plaintiff, highlighting the need for unity within the NBA. A court pronouncement could reshape the NBA’s electoral process, ensuring fairness and equity in future elections, particularly the 2026 national polls.
The Imo State High Court has yet to fix a hearing date.
