The last has not been heard of Tobenna Erojikwe’s recent viral new year message shared on a closed WhatsApp group; the latest buzz is the part of the message where he decried the pernicious effect of money on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and its elections.
“Those are not the worst things that are wrong with our political process and our politics. No, I think that the worst is the influence of money on our politics,” Tobenna Erojikwe stated.
He stated that lawyers across Nigeria routinely trade their votes for cash payments, conference sponsorships, and other incentives from candidates.
“It is public knowledge that lawyers across Nigeria trade their votes for money either by collecting cash directly, asking contestants to pay for their BPF, conference fees, hotel accommodations at conferences, etc.,” Tobenna Erojikwe said.
If candidates believe leadership positions can be purchased and voters expect compensation for their support, Tobenna Erojikwe questioned whether the NBA can truly serve the bar and foster a fair playing field amidst globalization, liberalization, and technological disruption.
The remarks reflect Tobenna Erojikwe’s perspective on challenges facing the NBA, according to sources familiar with his thinking. His statements formed part of a long-form new year message shared in confidence in a closed WhatsApp group.
Tobenna Erojikwe has previously decried financial inducements in NBA contests. But in his recent address, he argued that vote-buying practices have become ingrained and pose an existential threat to the NBA’s integrity and purpose.
“So, if candidates and the electorate all believe that positions in the NBA are for sale, then one must be constrained to ask whether this thing is about serving the Bar and seeking to create a truly competitive environment that can survive the vagaries of the disruptive effect that the challenges from globalisation, liberalisation, and technology pose to our profession,” he wrote.
Tobenna Erojikwe’s comments increase pressure on the NBA to confront perceptions of widespread vote-selling and establish financial safeguards for its internal elections.
Some predict Tobenna Erojikwe’s frank call-out should prompt soul-searching about ethical conduct in Nigerian law. Others say concrete reforms are needed to curb systemized vote-buying, which they agree threatens the NBA’s credibility and capability to address 21st century challenges.
As Tobenna Erojikwe’s message ricochets through Nigeria’s legal community, stakeholders will closely watch whether his words spur meaningful action against legalised vote bribery in NBA contests.
