As Nigerian Lawyers continue to demand for the removal of the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, as a Guest Speaker at the 2020 Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Annual Conference, a petition has been created to further show the seriousness of the concerned Lawyers,
The petition created by Usani Odum, a Twitter user, who is a Lawyer, has attracted 416 signatures and counting, demanding that Governor El-Rufai be stopped from appearing at the Conference, due to the ongoing killings in Southern Kaduna, under his watch.
Odum in the petition that is domicile on Change.org, condemned the ongoing genocide in Southern Kaduna, stating that, Governor El-Rufai’s comments on the happenings, were ‘diversionary’, and as such, is not qualified to be on the Panel of Guest Speakers lined up for the event.
The petition is titled: “Help stop Nasir El-Rufai from speaking at NBA AGC”.
“The senseless killings in Southern Kaduna must stop!! The political correctness of Governor El-Rufai on national television, is diversionary. It is a reversal to have him speak to Lawyers on security, when Governor Zulum of Borno is a better person to do so.
“We may not be able to do anything to stop the killings, but we can stop the Governor from speaking at the NBA-AGC, to show our disapproval of the manner he has handled the situation.”
Many of those who signed the petition also dropped their reasons for not wanting El-Governor El-Rufai to speak at the Conference.
“El-Rufai is evil, and has nothing to tell Lawyers. This madness must stop. NBA cannot aid the ongoing genocide/ethnic cleansing going on under Nasir El-Rufai’s watch, in the Christian dominated part of Southern Kaduna. Any speech made by El-Rufai will surely have an inprint of blood!”, Lazkings Chikezie wrote.
Favour Njoku said: “NBA, we cannot aid this madness!!! El-Rufai has nothing to tell us.”
On Tuesday, Page 36 reported that some Lawyers had kicked against the choice of the Kaduna State Governor, as a Speaker at the Conference, citing the violent attacks in the State, under this watch.
They threatened to boycott the Conference, if the Organisers fail to drop his name from the list of 10 Speakers invited for the virtual Conference this year.
Other Speakers expected at the Conference are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Nyesom Wike, the Governor of Rivers State, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Olusegun Obasanjo, a former President, and Tanko Muhammad, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN.
Ike Ekweremadu, a former Deputy Senate President, Abubakar Malami, the Attorney -General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Brian Speers, President of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, Linda Dobbs, Director of Training at the Judicial Institute for Africa, are also expected to speak at the Conference.
The NBA was still yet to address the grievances of the concerned Lawyers, at the time of filing in this report.