Court Nullifies Disqualification Of Barth Okoye-Aniche For NBA 2020 Election

The Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia, Abia State,  has held that the disqualification of Barth Okoye-Aniche, from contesting the NBA 2020 General elections is unlawful.

Barth Okoye-Aniche, on the 23rd June, 2020, was disqualified by the 2020  National ECNBA from contesting for the office of the NBA General Secretary in the Association’s National 2020 election.

The Lawyer, gathered that he was disqualified on the grounds that there was a Petition against him pending before the NBA Disciplinary Committee.

Barth in his motion stated that he has responded to the same petition and that LPDC, never invited him for the hearing of the matter and therefore was not found guilty of any crime by the Committee, yet he was disqualified by ECNBA.

Justice E.N Anyadike, in delivering his Verdict on 10th December, 2021, entered Judgment in favour of the Barth Okoye-Aniche, declared that it was unlawful for the Committee to disqualify him.

The court further held; “I order that the said disqualification conveyed to the Plaintiff in the 4tg and 5tg Defendant’s letter dated 23rd/6/2020 be and is hereby set aside.”

The Defendants in the Suit No. FHC/UM/CS/54/2020, are Registered Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association, former President and Secretary of the Association, Paul Usoro, SAN, and Jonathan Taidi,  Tawo Tawo, SAN and Cordelia V. Eke (Mrs) who were Chairman and Secretary of 2020, NBA Electoral Committee respectively.