Slam-Bang: Omokri Reacts To Tinubu Absenteeism At NBA Conference In Lagos

Reno Omokri, an aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, has reacted to the absenteeism of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Amhed Tinubu at the 62nd Nigerian Bar Association ( NBA) Annual General Conference holding at the Eko Atlantic City in Lagos.

The conference which is the largest gathering of business, political and professional leaders on the frontier of African continent and expected to be graced by over 13,000 delegates and thoughtful leaders in the areas of justice delivery, technology, the economy, politics, judicial reforms, human rights and the rule of law.

Omokri on Twitter, registered his unhappiness about Tinubu absenteeism at the event on Monday , said he (Tinubu) lives in Lagos where the event is taking place but surprised to hear he was not in attendance, only represented by his running mate, Kashim Shettima.

According to Omokri, if Atiku and Obi, who live hundreds of kilometres away from Lagos, where Tinubu lives, could attend the meeting, the APC candidate has no reason to be absent.

“If Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi can fly to Lagos to speak at the Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference, then what excuse can Bola Tinubu have if he does not show face there? It is happening in Lagos. He lives in Lagos. Lagos is his base. He claims to be from Lagos (although Osun…),” Omokri added.

The conference, which has started since August 19 and expected to run till August 26, with the theme, ‘Bold Transitions’.Host Nigerian ace writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as a keynote speaker.

It was said that the four leading presidential candidates for the 2023 general election in Nigeria were all invited to be guests speakers where they agreed to be on ground for the event. Eventually two of them came in persons,one sent his running mate but the fourth person ignored the invitation.

The two of the four leading presidential candidates for the 2023 general election that attended were the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, was represented by his running mate and his counterpart in the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Musa Kwankwaso, were also absent at the event.

Obi and Atiku who spoke in a panel session on ‘Democratic Transitions in 21st Century Nigeria: 2023 and Beyond’.

Speaking, the Chairman, Technical Committee on Conference Planning, Tobenna Erojikwe,said the NBA sent invitations to four leading presidential candidates in the forthcoming election.

“We are excited to announce that of the four leading presidential candidates we sent invitations to, two have confirmed to us that they would be available to speak at the 62nd NBA Annual General Conference holding at the Eko Atlantic City in Lagos. We await a response from the other two, and we are hopeful that it will be positive.

“It is a first in the history of the NBA Annual General Conference, and it is in line with our aspiration to make the 2022 AGC a legacy conference that sets a standard that will become a benchmark for subsequent conferences of the NBA. We are looking forward to seeing participants have a robust engagement with the candidates.

“It presents legal practitioners in Nigeria with a unique opportunity to interrogate issues affecting the profession and society and to continue to seek innovative ways of advancing justice delivery and providing value-adding legal solutions to their clients and the environment within which members of the association operate.

“We live in a time where major transformation; technology, and access to data, amongst other disruptive transitions, have continued to influence many aspects of our lives and are driving significant change in businesses, including law practice.

“Thus, the theme for this year’s conference is ‘Bold Transitions’. Discussions at the Conference will focus on the need for the legal profession to engage boldly with global evolutionary trends and will comprise over 30 technical sessions where experts will lead conversations primarily aimed at envisioning the future of the legal profession within the context of a rapidly transiting world and business environment, triggered in part by revolutionary exploits and expressions of technology and the historic coronavirus pandemic.

“The conference will address the impact of the rapid changes on fundamental socio-political and economic issues, including but not limited to the rule of law, access to justice, independence and self-sustainability of the judicial arm of government”,he added .

Aside Obi,Atiku and Shettima, the conference were also graced by notable politicians, entrepreneurs and professionals from all walks of life.