DSS and Foreign Observers to Monitor NBA Election as President Allays Rigging Fears

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) president, Afam Osigwe, has called for calm as he assures that the July 18 national election will be monitored by the Department of State Service (DSS) and foreign observers to ensure its integrity.

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Afam Osigwe, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has said that the Department of State Service (DSS) and foreign observers will be on ground to monitor the association's election slated for July 18. Osigwe made this known in a statement released on Sunday, a day to the election. The association's election has been marred by allegations of rigging and imposition of candidates.

The allegations have been a source of concern for many within the NBA, with some calling for the election to be postponed. However, Osigwe has come out to assure members that the election will be free and fair. He also stated that the DSS and foreign observers will be there to ensure that the election is conducted in a peaceful and transparent manner.

Osigwe explained that the idea of having the DSS and foreign observers to monitor the election was not to suppress or intimidate any candidate, but to ensure that the election is free from any form of rigging or manipulation. He also stated that the association has the right to invite foreign observers to monitor its election, and that the DSS will also be on ground to provide security and ensure that the election is conducted peacefully.

The President also stated that the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA) is an independent committee that does not take instructions from him or anybody in line with the NBA constitution. He also assured that the committee will conduct the election in a transparent and free manner.

The controversy surrounding the election has been heightened by the presence of a group known as ‘Egbe Amofin’, which has been accused of trying to impose a particular candidate on the association. Osigwe has however come out to dismiss the allegations, stating that the association will not succumb to blackmail or reputation-damaging during the election.

He also stated that a particular service provider engaged for the election has been arrested for allegedly attempting to compromise the process, but added that the person in charge has been released, although some of his laptops were seized.