Nigeria, Aug. 22 -- The Nigerian Bar Association demonstrated a disregard for the basic constitutional provision of fair hearing with its decision to disinvite Governor Nasir El-Rufai, his lawyer, AbdulHakeem Mustapha, has said.

In a letter to the NBA president, Paul Usoro, Mr Mustapha said it beats the imagination that a professional body like the NBA could take such a decision "no matter how tempting or appealing the reason may be."

"Going further, it is also instructive to note that the NBA sat down, constituted itself unto a court and adjudged Governor El-Rufai guilty of all the allegations contained in the said petition without hearing a word from the governor and thereafter proceeded to apply the sanction requested by the petition...