Confab: Lawyers differ on voting pattern

Some lawyers yesterday in Lagos disagreed on the voting pattern to be adopted by delegates at the ongoing National Conference in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the delegates had on Tuesday failed to reach an agreement on the voting pattern.

While some of them supported a three-quarters majority as contained in the National Conference Procedure Rules 2014, others clamoured for two-thirds majority.

The lawyers, who spoke to NAN, were divided as some backed two-thirds majority pattern while the others urged the delegates to go for simple majority.

Mr Onyekachi Ubani, Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch, said that it would be difficult to reach a consensus on any issue in such a gathering.

“In any proceedings of this nature, voting should be by two-thirds majority.

“ Any other thing will lead to disagreement,” Ubani said.

Another lawyer, Mr Yinka Farounbi, also supported the use of two-thirds majority in voting on crucial issues.

Farounbi urged the delegates to be alive to their responsibilities, and stressed the need for them to give the conference the deserved seriousness.

However, Mr Taiwo Taiwo, a former Chairman, NBA, Lagos branch, said that the delegates should adopt a simple majority pattern to avoid problems in future.

According to him, simple majority would be easier to implement.

Also, a law teacher, Mr Gbenga Ojo, said that adopting simple majority would enable the delegates to finish their work within the specified time.

Ojo, who is of the Faculty of Law, Lagos State University, said that it would be difficult for the delegates to reach three-quarters or two-thirds majority on all issues. (NAN)