Official position and statement of the African Women Lawyers Association and the breakaway faction in Nigeria

Issued by the Executive Council, African Women Lawyers Association- AWLA


1.0 HISTORICAL ORIGIN AND CONSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE OF AWLA

The African Women Lawyers Association [AWLA] was birthed at the Inaugural Meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya in 1997 by a group of distinguished women lawyers from across the continent including Kenya, Botswana, Namibia, Uganda, Cameroun, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Malawi, amongst others.
The Federal Republic of Nigeria was duly represented at the said formative meeting by, amongst others, Hon. Chief Mrs. Anayo Justina Offiah, SAN and Chief Mrs. Mabel Agbamuche

AWLA was founded in Nairobi Kenya by
Hon. Betty Mould Iddrisu and her team

AWLA is an international organization with a unified Constitution and Uniform Bye-Laws. It operates a decentralized structure with National Chapters in Member States, each headed by a Country Representative. The supreme organ of the Association at the international level is the Executive Council, headed by the President of AWLA.

The Founder and Pioneer President of the Association was Hon. Betty Mould-Iddrisu from Ghana.. She was succeeded in 2019 by Mandy Demechi-Asagba, Esq.,a Nigerian who currently serves as President. AWLA operates a rotational presidency that moves with the headquarters to the country of the President.

From inception, AWLA has operated as one indivisible body guided by due process, constitutionalism, and the rule of law.

2.0 THE ILLEGALITY THAT GAVE RISE TO THE BREAKAWAY FACTION: AWLA NIGERIA

The present crisis in AWLA Nigeria arose from a deliberate and serial violation of the Constitution and Uniform Bye-Laws of the Association.

1. Expiration of Tenure by Effluxion of Time
The tenure of the then National Executive Committee of AWLA Nigeria expired on 22nd October 2023. Upon expiration, the said Exco submitted its report of stewardship and became functus officio

2. Failure to Conduct Elections
The expired Exco failed, neglected, and/or refused to constitute an Electoral Committee or conduct elections prior to the expiration of its tenure, contrary to the provisions of the Constitution and Uniform Bye-Laws and or the repealed constitution the leader of the said Exco chaired the review Committee

3. Intervention by the Parent Body
Upon notification by members, the Executive Council of AWLA International intervened in accordance with its supervisory powers and constituted a Caretaker Committee to oversee the affairs of AWLA Nigeria. The said Caretaker Committee was duly inaugurated on 24th November 2023.

4. Usurpation and Contempt
Rather than hand over to the duly constituted Caretaker Committee, the functus officio Exco purported to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting in December 2023. At the said meeting, it illegally single handedly picked and announced the Electoral Committee and proceeded to conduct an election by selection of non active and unqualified members in flagrant breach of the Constitution as no qualified member participated in the illegal election.

In furtherance of this illegality, it removed members of the Caretaker Committee and any member who warned against their illegality from the official AWLA Nigeria WhatsApp platform - “AWLA Financial Members”.

5. Secret Inauguration Despite Warnings
Despite repeated warnings and entreaties from the Caretaker Committee and the Secretary General of AWLA, the illegal group proceeded to secretly inaugurate an unauthorized Executive Committee led by Caroline Ibharuneafe on 5th January 2024. This was done by forceful breaking and entry into the Secretariat while members were yet on New Year recess, and on a date that was not the recognized meeting day of the Association. Police intervention was required to maintain order.

6. Conduct of Valid Elections by the Caretaker Committee
In obedience to the Constitution, the Caretaker Committee proceeded to conduct valid elections on the 14th day of March 2024 and swore in the lawful Executive Committee of AWLA Nigeria headed by Falilat Oluwatoyin Orire Esq. on the 16th day of March, 2024.

3.0 CONDEMNATION OF THE BREAKAWAY FACTION AND ITS ACTIONS

The group led by Mrs. Caroline Ibharuneafe, having failed to secure legitimacy through constitutional means, purported to declare “independence” from AWLA International. This declaration is null, void, and of no legal effect whatsoever.

We hereby state and condemn as follows:

1. Lack of Legitimacy: The said persons were not qualified for nomination, voting, or being voted for at the material time. Their purported election is a nullity.
2. Usurpation of Title: By virtue of the Uniform Bye-Laws, the head of a National Chapter is designated Country Representative. The illegal use of the title “President” is a deliberate misrepresentation intended to deceive the public and donors.
3. Acts of Impersonation and Defamation: The breakaway faction has engaged in a sustained campaign of calumny, blackmail, and defamation against the President of AWLA, a Nigerian, AWLA as an Entity. They have labeled her and the lawful Exco of AWLA Nigeria Chapter as “impostors” and “rogues” and also claimed AWLA ( AWLA International) is an unregistered entity in petitions and publications circulated to members and the public.This conduct constitutes unethical conduct and gross professional misconduct.

4. Disregard for Authority: Despite being placed on suspension by the Executive Council of AWLA International, members of the illegal Exco and the initiators of the breakaway faction continue to parade themselves as officers of the Association. This is contemptuous and an affront to the rule of law and the supreme law of the Association.

5. Weaponization of the Association: It is most regrettable that the Association, which was founded to advance the cause of women in law, has been turned by the breakaway faction and its financiers into an instrument of harassment, disparagement and destruction. Running to the NBA Disciplinary Committee with falsehoods and publishing same on social media to gain support. The mantra appears to be: “If we cannot have it, let us destroy it.” This level of desperation is alarming and unbecoming of members of a noble profession.

6. Unlawful Forcible Entry, Illegal Seizure of the Secretariat, and Unlawful Usurpation of the Association’s Bank Accounts and Official Social Media Handles by the Breakaway Faction. By this act of trespass, the breakaway faction
wrongfully and illegally took possession of the Secretariat, which is the official property and administrative headquarters of AWLA.

7. The Hijack of Financial and Digital Assets
Following the unlawful takeover of the Secretariat, the breakaway faction proceeded to effect an illegal usurpation of the corporate assets of the Association. This included the unauthorized access to, and attempted control of, the Association’s bank accounts and official social media platforms, including but not limited to the WhatsApp group AWLA Financial Members,” Facebook page, instagram, linked In and other digital communication channels, removal of the Association’s signage and unlawful secret addition of 2 BoT members to enable them access the illegally transferred accounts of the Association. These actions were carried out without recourse to the Constitution and Uniform Bye-Laws of the Association and in direct defiance of the Caretaker Committee, the BoT of AWLA Nigeria and the directives of the Executive Council of AWLA.. The effect of these acts is to misrepresent the Association, mislead members and the public, and divert the resources and goodwill of the Association for purposes alien to its objectives.

4.0 FINAL WARNING AND CALL TO ORDER

The African Women Lawyers Association remains one indivisible body. There is only one lawful Executive Committee in Nigeria, being that inaugurated in March 2024 under the leadership of Falilat Oluwatoyin Orire Esq, as Country Representative and Toyin Ndidi Taiwo-Ojo as the General Secretary.

We hereby call on the breakaway faction, whose members had been duly suspended from the association to cease and desist from parading themselves as officers of AWLA. The notice of their suspension had been duly communicated to the Nigerian Bar Association. The usage of Awla name, logo and platforms by the breakaway faction henceforth is illegal and unlawful. Also, the breakaway faction is warned to immediately cease and desist from parading themselves as officers of AWLA and stop further defamatory and derogatory words and publications concerning Awla and its lawful members and officials.

TAKE NOTICE that failure to comply within 7 days of this statement shall leave the Association with no option but to take proper steps to protect the integrity of the Association.

AWLA was built on the sacrifices of pioneers like Hon. Betty Mould-Iddrisu, Hon. Justice Martha Koome JSC, Edna Kuma, Sadia Chinery-Hesse,.
Honorable Anayo Justina Offiah SAN, Chief Mrs. Mabel Agbamuche, Hon. Iyom Josephine Anenih, Hon. Justice Elsie Thompson, amongst others. We will not allow its history to be distorted nor its future to be hijacked.

The Association is a voluntary organization guided by law, The Law must be obeyed. The Constitution must be respected and revered. AWLA must be preserved.


Signed
For: The Executive Council, African Women Lawyers Association- AWLA


Sakinah Adepeju Oduye-Quadri
Secretary General
AWLA International
Dated this 25th Day of September, 2026