The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Thursday said its national election will be held on Saturday as scheduled.

It said this in a statement announcing the release of the managing director of the association’s election service provider by the State Security Service (SSS).

The NBA did not disclose the names of the service provider’s managing director and his company in the statement shared via its official X account on Thursday night.

It only confirmed that the official had been detained and later released.

The association said the decision to proceed with the election as scheduled followed an emergency virtual meeting of the NBA’s National Executive Council (NEC) affirming that there was no operational or logistical reason to postpone the election, now two days away.

It said the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) assured NEC that preparations for the election remained on course.

It said the electoral “reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a ‘free, fair, transparent and credible’ election on Saturday.”

The NBA’s reassurance came hours a lawyer and former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Chidi Odinkalu, raised concerns that operatives of the SSS detained the managing director of the NBA’s election service provider.

According to online reports, he was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos while he travelled to Abuja ahead of the election.

According to Mr Odinkalu, the operatives seized the managing director’s laptop, mobile phones and other electronic devices before taking him into custody. He also alleged that the action was intended to disrupt preparations for the NBA election.

NEC condemns arrest

NBA’s NEC also condemned the arrest and detention of the managing director of the election service provider by the SSS, describing the development as “deeply troubling.”

The council demanded his immediate and unconditional release, warning that no action should be allowed to undermine the credibility of the election.

The association, however, said it later confirmed that the managing director had been released from custody shortly after the emergency meeting.

It urged eligible lawyers to remain calm, participate peacefully in Saturday’s election and continue to uphold the rule of law, democracy and the independence of the legal profession.

The council also called on relevant authorities to respect the autonomy of the NBA and refrain from any action capable of interfering with its democratic processes.

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The development is the latest controversy surrounding Saturday’s NBA election.

In recent weeks, the process has generated disputes over the screening of candidates, the voters’ register and other aspects of the electoral process.

Despite the controversies, the ECNBA has repeatedly insisted that the election will proceed on Saturday, 18 July, as scheduled.