The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).has shifted its election due to commence midnight of Aug. 6 to Aug. 19 and Aug. 20 due to difficulties encountered by members with the verification process amid allegation of forgery of resignation letter.

Chairman of the NBA Electoral Committee, Prof. Auwalu Yardudu, was purported to have resigned via a published resignation letter but he denies it, insisting that his signature on the letter was forged.

The NBA President, Mr Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), announced this on Monday in Abuja at a press conference.

Mahmoud said that the shift was due to wide spread complaints by  members about the security of the verification process being undertaken by Chams Plc.

He said that upon the review of the process so far, it became necessary to disaggregate the entire electoral process into three stages: pre, during and post-election.

Mahmoud further said that it also became pertinent to appoint a new service provider to manage a more secured verification process that would strengthen the confidence of members in the electoral process.

To this effect, he said that the NBA appointed CRENET to undertake the development and deployment of sophisticated technology with high level securities to ensure that all members were duly verified.

“To ensure that our members are not disenfranchised during the electoral process, the NBA has instructed CRENET to suspend the current verification process and introduce a simplified process.

“This is to enable all outstanding members eligible to vote, but unable to verify their details to do so through a simplified form that will be made available for completion and submission online.”

He explained that based on the introduction of the new process, the electoral committee would reopen the verification process on Aug. 8.

According to him, each eligible member of the association should complete their verification form between Aug. 8 and Aug. 11.

The NBA boss said that the reconciliation of verified data by CRENET would be done by Aug.11 and AUG.15 while publication of the final voter list would be out by Aug. 16.

Mahmoud added that transfer and testing of the voting platform would be done on Aug.18 while the election proper would hold on Aug. 19 and  Aug.20.

The president affirmed NBA’s commitment to conduct free, fair and credible election, adding that he was aware that the election ought to hold in July but the shift would be rectified by congress.

He said Chams had so far verified 5,500 members who were not to take part in the fresh verification to be done by CRENET.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the NBA Electoral Committee, Prof. Auwalu Yardudu has refuted reports that he had resigned his position as chairman of the electoral committee.

Yardudu denied authoring the resignation letter which had his signature, adding that it was forged by mischief makers.

He said that the NBA would investigate and punish those responsible for issuing and publishing the purported resignation letter.(NAN)