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Oduah was suspended over allegations of “gross misconduct.”The Federal High Court, Abuja has set aside the suspension of the General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs Joyce Oduah.
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Justice A. R. Muhammed set her suspension aside on Tuesday. Oduah was suspended over allegations of “gross misconduct. In her place, the Assistant General Secretary, Uchenna Nwadialo, was asked to immediately act as the General Secretary of the organisation.
The National Executive Council of the NBA on Sunday evening also ratified the suspension of Oduah as the General Secretary of the association. Her suspension was ratified at the NEC meeting, which was part of the activities of the NBA Annual General Conference held in Lagos.
Oduah had filed a suit at the court to challenge her suspension from office.
In the suit filed by her Counsel, Murtala Abdul-Rasheed (SAN), NBA national executives and the Inspector General of Police were listed as respondents.
Oduah argued that the action taken against her at an emergency meeting held by the National Executive Committee on Monday, August 15, 2022, is unconstitutional.
She asked the court to determine five issues, including, “Whether or not having regards to the provisions of Sections 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Sections 11(9), 20 and 21 of the Constitution of the Nigerian Bar Association, 2015 (as amended in 2021) and Sections 239, 242 and 288 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020, the 3rd – 11th Defendants have the vires to suspend the Plaintiff from the office of the General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, (the 1st Defendant herein).
“Whether or not having regards to the provisions of Sections 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Sections 11(9), 20 and 21 of the Constitution of the Nigerian Bar Association 2015 (as amended in 2021 and Sections 239, 242 and 288 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020 the purported resolution of the emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association held on the 15th day of August 2022, is null, void, illegal and unconstitutional.”
