Court restrains NBA from suspending Ikorodu Branch chairman

Justice Adebowale Candide-Johnson of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has restrained the national body of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) from suspending Bayo Akinlade, Chairman of the Ikorodu Branch of the NBA. 

The judge granted the injunction yesterday while ruling on a motion exparte filed by counsel to Akinlade, Femi Falana. Joined as the defendants in the motion exparte are the registered trustees of the NBA and Ezekiel Ogbaide, acting chairman of the Ikorodu Branch of the NBA. 

The motion brought pursuant to Order 42&43 rules of the High Court Lagos Civil Procedure Rules 2019 and under inherent jurisdiction of the court, the claimant prayed for an order of interim injunction restraining the defendants from acting on the purported suspension of Akinlade as the Chairman of the Ikorodu branch of the NBA on March 28 pending the determination of the motion on notice. 

The claimant prayed the court among other order: restraining the defendants from preventing Akinlade from performing his duties as the Chairman pending hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

However, while delivering ruling, court held that the present case is covered by the case law of 7up Bottling Company vs. Abiola and Sons Nigeria Limited NWLR. “The life span of the interim injunction granted this Friday should operate until midnight of April 12, 2019.Substantial hearing of the motion on notice is fixed for Tuesday, April 16 2019.”

The claimant was suspended for allegedly flouting an order from the national body of the NBA to halt the bye-election of the NBA Ikorodu branch, which eventually held on March 15. On March 28, during the National Executive Council (NEC) Meeting of the NBA, he was suspended and Ogbaide was appointed acting chairman. Akinlade claimed his suspension is unconstitutional, as he was not given an opportunity to defend himself and respond to the allegations contained in a report presented by the second vice-president of the NBA during the NEC meeting.