Presidential candidate of the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA), Martina Baindu Egbenda, has publicly challenged the Association’s Executive over its decision to maintain the 29th May 2026 subscription deadline for members wishing to participate in the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) and elections.
In a press release dated 25th June 2026, Egbenda acknowledged the General Notice issued on 19th June 2026, which confirmed that the deferred AGM and elections will now take place on 31st July and 1st August 2026. While welcoming the certainty of the new dates, she raised concerns over what she described as an unresolved issue regarding members’ eligibility.
According to her, the Executive has insisted that only members who paid their Conference and Annual Subscription Fees on or before 29th May 2026 will be granted access to the Conference Centre, allowed to vote, or contest in the elections.
Egbenda argued that the original deadline was set solely because elections were initially scheduled for June, but those elections were later postponed. She noted that members were informed that the Treasurer would use the extended period to verify payments and reconcile records with the bank.
She maintained that if the Association required additional time to complete its administrative processes, fairness should also allow members extra time to settle their subscriptions and regularize their membership before the rescheduled elections.
“The obvious question therefore is this: what legitimate purpose is served by preventing willing members from subscribing to their own Association before the new election date?” she questioned.
Egbenda further stated that since the June elections did not take place, the justification for maintaining a closed subscription period no longer exists. She emphasized that the Bar Association should be promoting wider participation rather than restricting it.
“The Sierra Leone Bar Association should encourage participation, not restrict it. Membership of the Association should not be artificially frozen when the very event for which the deadline was created has been postponed,” she stated.
She also questioned the Executive’s confidence, referencing repeated public assertions by its leadership that they enjoy overwhelming support within the legal profession and are confident of victory.
According to Egbenda, if such confidence is genuine, reopening subscriptions should not be seen as a threat.
She has now called on the current Executive to reopen subscriptions and allow members to regularize their status until 20th July 2026, which she said would still provide sufficient time for administrative verification before the elections.
Egbenda concluded by urging the Executive to ensure that no member is disenfranchised, stressing that the future of the Association should be determined by all its members.
“The Bar belongs to all its members,” she stated.
