NBA Elects Paul Usoro New President

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has a new president, Mr. Paul Usoro SAN.

Usoro was elected in a three-horse race and is expected to succeed Abubakar Mahmoud SAN.

The election of Usoro was announced by the chairman of the NBA electoral Committee, Professor Auwalu Yadudu.

According to him, Mr Usoro polled 4,509 votes to defeat his closest rival, Arthur Obi-Okafor, who polled 4,423 ballots, just as Mr Ernest Ojukwu secured 3,313 votes.

A total of 16,115 lawyers were accredited for the NBA election but that 12,421 lawyers actually cast their ballots.

Usoro, 59, is a senior partner and founder of Paul Usoro & Co (PUC) is plagued by fraud allegation levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The new NBA president is alleged to have transferred sums of money in three instalments to a judge of the National Industrial Court, Lagos Division, James Agbadu-Fashim.

Mr. Agbadu-Fishim is currently facing a 19-count charge of fraud for the alleged offence.

Mr. Usoro, however explained that the transfers, totalling N550, 000 paid between August 2014 and March 2015 were “personal donations” which fell within ‘acceptable conducts of judicial officers’, as contained in rule 3, paragraph (F) of the code of conduct for judicial officers.