34 years later, NBA repeats history, elects Badejo-Okusanya as 33rd President
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
Despite internal wranglings and an initial technical glitch, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), on Sunday, announced the successful completion of its 2026 national officers’ election.
The Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the NBA, Chief Aham Ejelam, SAN, announced Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, as the winner of the presidential seat.
Announcing the results of the election on Sunday, Ejelam, SAN, declared that Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, polled a total of 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 percent, to defeat her closest challenger, Lateef Akangbe, SAN, who garnered 7,934 votes, representing 30.39 percent of the total votes cast.
The third candidate for the presidential election, Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, polled 5,855 votes, representing 22.43 percent, to emerge third in the contest.
The Electoral Committee Chairman disclosed that a total of 26,106 votes were recorded for the highly disputed presidential election.
With her victory, Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, will become the 33rd President of the legal association, successfully re-enacting a 34-year-old history as the second female to lead the NBA since its formation in 1933.
Meanwhile, Mr. Afam Okeke was elected General Secretary of the legal body, having polled a total of 8,478 votes to defeat his opponents.
All the elected officials will be in office for a two-year period spanning 2026 to 2028.
Although the President-elect, Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, was absent when the results of the election were announced at the NBA headquarters in Abuja, a member of her campaign team, Mr. Aminu Gadanya, SAN, who revealed that she had a flight delay, declared her resolve to extend a “handshake of friendship” to all the aggrieved candidates.
In his remarks after the results were announced, the outgoing President of the NBA, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, noted that the election faced several challenges, including a cyberattack that almost derailed the electoral process.
“Many went to great lengths to truncate the electoral process. They maligned the process with their utterances, but we held firm. Every effort to derail the process failed,” Osigwe, SAN, stated.
He urged the winners to be magnanimous in victory, warning that they should celebrate moderately.
“This is a trying time for the Bar. Many persons may still go to great lengths to rubbish the association. However, this is a time for healing. At the end of the day, let the Bar be the winner,” Osigwe, SAN, added.
He said the ECNBA would carry out an in-depth analysis, especially of the challenges encountered, so as to come up with recommendations that will engender greater confidence in the association’s electoral process.
“The cyberattack shows that we must do more, not only for data protection, but to protect our electoral integrity. We must insulate our electoral process from such activities.
“Someday the story will be told of how the ICT system had to be rebuilt and moved to a safer server to ensure that the election was held.
“The Bar must always protect its independence and eternally determine the course of its electoral process,” the outgoing NBA President added.