NBA President Under Fire: Kano Group Slams "Reckless Misinformation" on Political Broadcasts, Demands Probe -

By Hassan Kano

Kano, Nigeria

A significant controversy erupted today as the “Eye on Kano Initiative” launched a blistering attack on the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN. The group accuses Mr. Osigwe of disseminating misinformed and damaging statements regarding the alleged suspension of live political broadcasts in Kano State, thereby tarnishing the NBA’s reputation.

In a strongly-worded press release dated May 16, 2025, Tijjani Sarki, Secretary General of the Eye on Kano Initiative, condemned the NBA President’s recent pronouncement titled “Kano State Government Cannot Usurp NBC’s Role or Gag Free Speech.” Sarki argues that this statement demonstrates a “shocking lack of due diligence, restraint, and national responsibility.”

The Eye on Kano Initiative vehemently refutes the notion that the Kano State Government issued a “ban.” Instead, Sarki clarifies, the decision to regulate live political programming stemmed from a resolution by the Media Executives’ Forum in Kano. This forum, comprising stakeholders familiar with the local media landscape and sensitivities, reportedly aimed to “curb rising recklessness, disrespectful, insensitive, and inflammatory commentary that could incite unrest,” rather than to suppress free speech.

“For the NBA President to issue such a sweeping condemnation against the Kano State Government without verified facts, direct engagement, or even a formal inquiry is not only premature but shamefully unprofessional,” stated Tijjani Sarki. He questioned whether the NBA had contacted the Kano State Government for clarification or received any official complaints from its Kano branch or local media stakeholders.

The Initiative portrays the NBA President’s actions as a “desperate attempt to strike a public outrage” and accuses him of making “sensational and unfounded statements” that are “misleading, damaging on the integrity of this high esteemed body, but also dangerously reckless.”

This development raises pertinent questions about the established regulatory framework for broadcasting in Nigeria. The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is the federal agency statutorily empowered to regulate broadcasting. The NBA President’s statement, as titled, suggests a focus on the Kano State Government allegedly usurping this role, a claim the Eye on Kano Initiative disputes by attributing the decision to media executives themselves. The core of the disagreement appears to be whether the state government was involved and the true intent behind the content moderation.

Further deepening the criticism, Tijjani Sarki’s statement lambasted the NBA for its perceived silence on several pressing national issues. He asked, “Where was the NBA when scores of innocent Kano citizens lives were massacred at Oromi in Edo State? Where was NBA when ethnic killings ravaged Plateau State…?” Sarki also highlighted the security challenges in Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara States, the “constitutional chaos” in Rivers State, and alleged procedural issues within the National Assembly, accusing the NBA President of being “selective in choosing which issues to address.”

“Such a skewed and reactionary approach raises questions about the motives behind this approach,” Sarki declared, pondering if it was “an attempt to politicize the NBA or to undermine Kano State for some other hidden agendas.”

The Eye on Kano Initiative has issued an ultimatum, calling on the NBA Executive Council, via its Ethics and Privileges Committee, to investigate Mr. Osigwe’s conduct. “If no disciplinary action is taken within 72 hours,” Sarki warned, “we may be forced to conclude that the NBA, under its current leadership, is complicit in attempts to destabilize Kano State.” He added that the group “will not hesitate to pursue legal action for defamation of character and for inciting unnecessary tension in our dear state.”

This public rebuke places the Nigerian Bar Association, a body traditionally seen as a bastion for the rule of law and defender of citizens’ rights, in an uncomfortable spotlight. The coming days will be crucial in observing how the NBA leadership responds to these serious allegations and the demand for an internal probe into its President’s public statements. The controversy underscores the delicate balance between ensuring freedom of speech and preventing the dissemination of content that could incite violence or public disorder, particularly within Nigeria’s dynamic political environment.