NBA Asks Appeal Court To Uphold Suspension Of Secretary

The Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, led by its outgoing president Olumide Akpata has prayed the Court of Appeal, Abuja, to uphold the suspension of its General Secretary, Joyce Oduah.

The appeal was entered at the appellate court in Abuja amid the association’s ongoing annual conference in Lagos which would usher in a new president, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau, SAN.

THE WHISTLER reported that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday set aside the ratification of the suspension of Oduah, by the association’s National Executive Committee.

The NBA NEC had on August 15 suspended Oduah for alleged gross misconduct in office.

But Oduah headed to the Federal High Court seeking an injunction against her suspension.

The court later approved an interim injunction against the NBA NEC, describing its action as done in bad faith.

The lower court fixed August 31 for determination of her main suit which challenged the NEC’s powers to remove her from office.

But the NBA and Akpata have appealed the decision of the lower court in an application dated August 24.

The association argued that the ruling of the lower court was done in error because the NEC acted within its powers.

The following reliefs were sought:

“AN ORDER allowing this Appeal and setting aside that part of the ruling of the Court below where the Court below granted an order of mandatory injunction reversing the ratification of the suspension of the 15t Respondent by NBA-NEC on 21 August 2022 stating that the ratification altered the subject matter of the proceedings pending before it.

“Cost of these proceedings in favour of the Appellants.”