By Uche Amunike
A former General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Afam Osigwe, has emerged the president of the NBA after polling 20,435 votes in the just concluded 2024 NBA election, while his closest contender, the Chairman of the NBA Institute of Continuing Legal Education Governing Council, Tobenna Erojikwe, garnered 10,998 votes.
The voting exercise was done online, just as all the live results were posted online.
Afam Osigwe is to succeed the outgoing president, Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), while the position of 1st Vice President went to Mr. Sabastine Anyia, who garnered 12,114 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr Barthlomew Aguegbodo who scored 6,864 votes.
The position of 2nd Vice President went to Mrs Bolatumi Olasunbo Animashun, who scored 26,534 votes against Pius Idemudia Oiwoh’s 11,121 votes. Mrs Zainab Aminu Garba also emerged 3rd Vice President with her 23,550 votes against Michael Olarewaju Olorunmola’s 13,897 votes.
The position of General Secretary went to Dr. Mobolaji Idris Ojibara, who scored 25,713 votes against Abdulwasiu Alpha, that got 11,730 votes.
Afam Osigwe was born on October 25, 1972. He graduated from the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus in 1997 and was called to the bar in 1999. Almost immediately, he began legal practice with Chike Chigbue and Co, Abuja and left in 2002 to begin his own firm, the LAW FORTE (Legal Practitioners, Corporate Consultants, and Notary Public). By 2006, he became a Notary Public of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
He completed a face-to-face tutorial at Keble College, Oxford in 2010 and obtained a Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration. In 2011, he became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Uk), after obtaining a Masters of Law Degree (LL.M) from the University of Jos. He also holds an extra LLM in Transnational Commercial Practice from the Center for International Legal Studies, Austria, in collaboration with the Lazarsky University, Poland.
He has featured as a counsel in various arbitral proceedings and also as a sole arbitrator or member of arbitral tribunals in commercial disputes.
Afam Osigwe is a known reader and researcher, as well as the last person to serve as the chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Abuja branch (Unity Bar), for the entire Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. It was during his tenure as Chairman of the Unity Bar that the Bwari and Gwagwalada branches were created.
In 2012, he became the first Chairman of Chairmen of NBA Branches in the FCT, after the chairmen of the Bwari and Gwagwalada branches of the association gave their consent.
In August 2014, he was sworn in as the general Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, a position which he occupied till his tenure expired on August 26, 2016.
President Bola Tinubu has congratulated him on his victory, through a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.
He also felicitated with all the newly elected officers of the NBA and members of the association on the success of their election. While he lauded the outgoing president, Yakubu Maikyau on his stewardship, he promised the new leadership of his administration’s support, always.
