A former First Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), John O. Aikpokpo-Martins, has raised concerns over the growing tensions surrounding the 2026 NBA presidential election, questioning the motives and actions of Egbe Amofin.
In a strongly worded statement dated March 18, 2026, Aikpokpo-Martins reflected on the historical dynamics within the NBA, particularly the political exclusion of the Midwest region in contests for the presidency when the office was zoned to the Western bloc.
He recalled that prior to 2014, efforts by the Midwest to secure the presidency were resisted, until Augustine Alegeh emerged victorious after a fiercely contested election. A similar pattern, he noted, occurred in 2020 when the Southwest again declined a rotational agreement, leading to another competitive election that produced Olumide Akpata as President.
READ HIS FULL REACTION BELOW
WHAT DOES EGBE AMOFIN REALLY WANT?
Prior to 2014, the Midwest was politically excluded for the office of the NBA President whenever the position was zoned to the West. All attempts by the MW to get the SW to concede the Presidency to the MW in 2014 were rebuffed by then leadership of Egbe Amofin. Then Augustine Alegeh SAN stepped forward to champion the cause for the MW to occupy the position. After a very grueling election, he won against the expectations of the SW. Then came 2020. The leadership of the MW again initiated a détente and sought for a mutually agreed rotational formula whenever National offices are zoned to the West. The SW again made an agreement impossible, and we headed to the poll. Olu Akpata and my humble self won the hotly contested election as the President and 1st Vice President, respectively.
The position of the President has again rotated to the Western zone. It may interest many that several overtures were made to the leadership of Egbe Amofin by the MW to come to a roundtable discussion to mutually agree on a rotational formula, but the Egbe Amofin leadership, for whatever reason, would not make themselves available. It is common knowledge that I was initially interested in contesting for the position of the presidency, and I had started mobilizing for the election. However, when it became obvious that there might be a catastrophic pushback if I were able to win the election, the MW opted to voluntarily withdraw from the race to avoid any upheaval that may arise in the Association. We chose the unity of the Bar above a probable pyrrhic victory and opted to wait for next time….personally, this was at great personal cost, but then the overall interest of the Bar must be paramount. The voluntary withdrawal of the MW from the election was thankfully acknowledged by Egbe Amofin.
One would have expected that all would be fine thereafter, as all the aspirants are from the SW…to bring it home, it means that a Yoruba and member of the Egbe Amofin to be precise will definitely be the next NBA President. But then, there is still no peace.
If the present disagreement is not properly managed, it will lead to a major crisis in the NBA. If a Yoruba will willy-nilly become the next President, why all these fights from Egbe Amofin?
This made me to interrogate what may be the real objective(s) of Egbe Amofin in all these. The pertinent question is; why is the fact that one of their children must be the President not comforting and satisfactory to Egbe Amofin?
What is the real objective behind the insistence of Egbe Amofin that only Aare must be the President?
I concede that it is honourable to push for the realization of a group resolution, but when that pursuit becomes an existential threat to Egbe itself and the Association, such a resolution must imperatively become negotiable, or modifiable or expendable.
As I keenly watch the moves and counter-moves on the chessboard from my small corner, I am trying to discern the overall objectives of Egbe Amofin in all these.
From my small corner, I discern that the first objective of Egbe Amofin is obviously to engineer a state of emergency in the NBA and foist a caretaker regime on the NBA in August 2026. The objective of instituting the pending cases is not to win on the merit as some erroneously think.
If Egbe Amofin, a regional pressure group, is pushing this ferociously for Aare Muyiwa Akinboro, SAN, to the exclusion of their other candidates to be the President without a contest, I am beginning to look beyond the surface to discern the motive. As a group representing SW interests, should they not be satisfied with a SW President, regardless of who he/she is? Their stubborn insistence on a particular individual suggests there may be more to it than just regional representation.
Then the question must of necessity be; what is driving this fixation on Aare Akinboro, SAN, specifically?
The leadership of Egbe Amofin is pushing and deploying what may be perceived as desperate tactics to ensure that ONLY Aare Muyiwa Akinboro, SAN, becomes the NBA President. Given his pedigree, qualifications and soft-spoken nature, it is clear Aare is a very strong candidate. However, I am starting to wonder if there is a specific regional agenda Egbe Amofin believes only the respected Aare can execute on their behalf, one that might not align with the NBA’s overall interest. Maybe, Egbe Amofin believes that Lateef Akangbe, SAN and Mrs Okusanya-Badejo, SAN might not be able to execute this parochial agenda thus making Aare’s candidacy crucial to Egbe Amofin’s ultimate goals.
Assuming I am over-thinking this issue, then, why is Egbe Amofin seeking to bring the roof down on all of us inspite of the fact that, willy-nilly, a Yoruba must be the next NBA President?
I think it is time for Egbe Amofin to take a step back and reconsider the kamikazee tactics being currently deployed. The NBA leadership should engage the leadership of Egbe Amofin and all other stakeholders in the overall interest of the Nigerian Bar Association.
If the process of voting is the real problem, that can in truth be resolved and solved.
J. O. Aikpokpo-Martins.
Past 1st Vice President.
Past Chairman, NBA-SPIDEL,
Past Chairman, NBA-Warri.
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