NBA flays Buhari, Malami over alleged disregard for rule of law

The Nigerian Bar association (NBA) through its President, Olumide Akpata on Tuesday flayed both President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami over the administration’s penchant in flouting the rule of law in the country.

Olumide Akpata, who disclosed this in an interview recalled how President Buhari told a cross-section of legal luminaries about the importance of national security at the expense of the rule of law.

According to the NBA President, this utterance sent a very bad signal across the legal community, which is further exacerbated by the alleged penchant of the Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, to flout the law.

Akpata said, “This administration said the rule of law has to take a backseat in the interest of security and some of the lawyers were taken aback by such utterances from the President. It was really problematic, which is a bad signal for the NBA. It is a mixed review for this administration. We often appeal to the AGF to adhere to the rule of law but he pays no heed.

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“In a nutshell, they have not really done so well and we are hoping that the next administration will improve on this index because the world is watching and need to believe that this country is where there is an expectation that the FG will do the right thing. This is not to say there is total disrespect because there have been instances regarding respect for the rule of law but it can be better.”

The NBA President also revealed the reason for the theme of the current conference organized by the body.

The theme ‘Bold Transition’, according to Akpata, was conceived due to the need for a change in the administration of the country, with a lot of changes going on across the world.

He said, “The NBA chose that theme because of those two words and we identified that in the world and Nigeria, there is a transition going on at all levels. We are looking for audacity at the level of the legal profession in Nigeria and the world, which is why we decided to select the theme since we are a notable name in the country’s politics.

“We cannot fold our hands in the face of impending change and this is needed to land on the other side.

“The conference went well and the presidential candidates channeled their ideas regarding moving the country forward. We need to go beyond primordial sentiments and I was impressed with the candor and forthrightness of some of the candidates.