Knocks As Tinubu Absent At NBA Conference, Atiku, Obi Present

Nigerians have taken to social media to mock the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, for failure to attend the annual general conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, holding in Lagos.

The leading presidential candidates in next year’s election were invited to the conference.

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Tinubu, whose Lagos residence is about 19 minutes drive to the Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, venue of the conference did not attend but sent his running mate, Kashim Shettima.

The event, which is currently in full swing, is being attended by top presidential candidates such as Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, who is the presidential candidate of the Labour party, and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong.

Other delegates at the conference include the NBA President, Olumide Akpata, the incoming president of the body, Yakubu Maikyau, and oldest female lawyer in Nigeria, Folake Solanke (SAN).

Also present are the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, who is also representing the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, and the Attorney General of Lagos, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN) who is representing Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu.

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The theme of the conference is “Bold Transitions”.

This year’s conference has several technical sessions where speakers will lead conversations primarily aimed at the future of the legal profession in particular and Nigeria in general within the context of a rapidly changing world.

Among the scheduled sessions is a highly anticipated plenary for the key presidential candidates in the 2023 general elections to speak on the topic, “Democratic Transitions in 21st Century Nigeria: 2023 and Beyond.”

Nigerian bestselling author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, is the keynote speaker.

While Atiku and Obi are at the conference, Tinubu was represented by Shettima, a development many Nigerians on social media noticed and commented about.

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The former Special Assistant on New Media to President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri wrote that, “Happening Now: Waziri Atiku is now speaking about his plans for Nigeria, at the NBA Annual General Conference.

“Where is Bola Tinubu? Why is he hiding? Especially as this event is taking place at Eko Hotel, 5.7 kilometres from Bourdillon, Ikoyi!”

Both Festus Keyamo – Minister of State for Labour and Bayo Onanuga, two of the spokesmen of the Tinubu Campaign Council did not respond to text messages sent to them.

They also did not pick their calls.

Both Atiku and Obi as well as Shettima have already spoken at the conference.

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