STATEMENT BY PAUL BABATUNDE DAUDU, SAN, ON THE SPIDEL 2025 ELECTIONS AND HIS ACCEPTANCE OF THE POSITION OF VICE-CHAIRMAN
I wish to express my sincere appreciation to members of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA–SPIDEL) for their confidence in accepting my nomination as Vice-Chairman of the Section at the just-concluded 2025 Annual General Meeting in Uyo.
While this was not the position I initially vied for in the election, I have accepted the office in the larger interest of the Section and the Association. My decision did not come lightly. Indeed, I had considered rejecting the nomination in view of the procedural lapses that attended the electoral process.
Specifically:
1. The guidelines of the Electoral Committee were not duly complied with in respect of the timely communication of disqualification to aspirants and the publication of the list of qualified candidates.
2. Up till this moment, I have not been formally informed of the reasons for my disqualification from contesting for the office of Chairman — a right which would have afforded me an opportunity to appeal or challenge the decision in accordance with the principles of fair hearing.
3. As a former National Chairman of a Forum of the NBA, a former Branch Chairman, and a financial member of SPIDEL, I genuinely believed I was in a strong position to bring innovation, inclusiveness, and renewed vision to SPIDEL — and to help make it truly the moral compass of the NBA and the nation at large.
Nevertheless, I would have wished that the lapses which hindered the stipulated electoral process had not occurred. These irregularities created a leadership vacuum that could have degenerated into a full-blown crisis within the Section.
In that regard, I commend the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, SAN, for his timely and decisive intervention, along with other stakeholders, to ensure that SPIDEL did not descend into crisis. His statesmanship and commitment to unity deserve commendation.
I also wish to thank all my supporters and colleagues who travelled from various destinations across the country to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to stand by me and rally around my ambition. Your solidarity, friendship, and faith in my vision for SPIDEL mean a great deal to me.
As we move forward, I appeal to all well-meaning members of SPIDEL to remain calm and united. Our shared goal must be the progress and stability of the Section. I am confident that, working together, we can consolidate SPIDEL’s position as a beacon of justice, accountability, and development within the Bar and the nation.
I reaffirm my dedication to serve with dignity, transparency, and fairness — and to work with the newly elected leadership team to reposition SPIDEL for greater relevance, credibility, and impact in advancing the ideals of the legal profession.
Paul Babatunde Daudu, SAN
Vice-Chairman, NBA–SPIDEL
Uyo, Akwa Ibom State
6 December 2025
