The Nigerian Bar Association has petitioned the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee over the allegations of misconduct against the suspended Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, and a young Aba-based, Ifunanya Grant popularly known as “baddest lawyer” on social media.
The NBA said Yunusa-Ari was dragged before the committee over his role in the supplementary governorship election in Adamawa State.
The association said there had been complaints against Ifunanya accusing her of posting pictures and videos of herself unclad and smoking marijuana on social media.
In a statement on Saturday by the NBA spokesperson, Akorede Lawal said the decision was reached by the National Executive Committee of the NBA after its monthly meeting presided over by the president, Yakubu Maikyau.
He noted that the NBA would stop at nothing to weed out bad eggs in the legal profession.
It read, “The National Officers also deliberated at their earlier monthly meeting over the unbecoming conduct of some members of the legal profession. Following the resolutions of the National Officers, the NBA has filed petitions at the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee against Mr Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the suspended Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission and Ifunanya Excel Grant, a young lawyer of Aba Branch wildly known as “the baddest lawyer” on social media.
“While it is important to underscore the fact that none of the lawyers petitioned or being investigated is deemed guilty of professional misconduct until the LPDC hands down its decisions after a fair trial, the NBA President has emphasized the need for lawyers to continue to be of best conduct wherever they find themselves, and he reiterated that the present NBA leadership will not relent in ridding the profession of the very few bad eggs that may be found.”
Meanwhile, Lawal also said the association has resolved to investigate the allegations of sexual assault against the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Prof. Cyril Ndifon.
The NBA NEC instituted an ad-hoc committee comprising the 1st Vice President of the NBA, Mrs. Linda Rose Bala, the Assistant General Secretary of the NBA, Mr. Daniel Kip, the Chairperson of NBA Women’s Forum, and the Chairman of the NBA Calabar Branch, to investigate the allegations against the University Don.
Lawal also said the NBA has written the Chairman, State, and House of Representatives election petition tribunal sitting in Kano Justice Flora Azinge following an alarm she raised that some lawyers were attempting to obstruct the cause of justice with financial inducement.
“You may also be aware of the recent media report of the attempted bribe of Justice Flora Azinge of the National Assembly and State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kano. The NBA has, by a letter dated 16th August 2023, formally requested his lordship to avail the NBA of further details in this regard to enable investigation into this allegation.”