The Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association has declared Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya the winner of the 2026 NBA presidential election and the 33rd President of the Association.
The ECNBA Chairman, Aham Ejelam, SAN, announced the official results at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja following the conclusion of the election on Sunday.
According to figures released by the Committee, Badejo-Okusanya polled 12,317 votes, which represents 47.18 percent of the total votes cast for the presidency. Her closest competitor, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN, secured 7,934 votes, representing 30.39 percent, while Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, received 5,855 votes, representing 22.43 percent.
The presidential election recorded 26,106 votes out of 82,172 registered voters, bringing the total participation rate to 31.86 percent.
The Electoral Committee also announced other executive officers elected during the poll. Oghenero Okoro polled 11,024 votes to secure the office of First Vice President. Afam Okeke garnered 8,478 votes to emerge as General Secretary. Aghogho Gladys won the position of Assistant General Secretary with 14,312 votes, while Chinelo Ofoegbunam emerged as Welfare Secretary after receiving 14,911 votes.
Speaking after the declaration, outgoing NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, noted that the electoral process withstood deliberate attempts at sabotage. He highlighted a cyberattack that forced the ECNBA to rebuild and migrate its digital infrastructure to a more secure server during the voting window.
Osigwe stated that certain individuals attempted to truncate the election, but the leadership stood firm against efforts to derail the process. He described the period leading up to the election as a trying time for the legal body, noting that several attempts were made to damage the reputation of the association.
He called on the newly elected national officers to display magnanimity in victory and urged unsuccessful candidates to support the incoming leadership.
Addressing the technical challenges encountered during voting, Osigwe emphasized that the cyberattack demonstrated the critical need for stronger data protection measures within the legal community. He added that the full account of how the election was nearly compromised would eventually be documented, stressing that the legal profession must retain complete control over its internal governance.
Osigwe expressed confidence that the incoming administration would correct any shortcomings identified during the exercise. He reiterated that the unity of the Bar remains non-negotiable and urged the new executive committee to foster collaboration across all factions.
Furthermore, Osigwe cautioned against any situation where the leadership of the association could be influenced or determined by external actors outside the legal profession.
Moving forward, the ECNBA will conduct a comprehensive post-election review to analyze the challenges experienced during the process. Human & Legal understands this review will focus on bolstering cybersecurity frameworks, refining operational workflows and strengthening the overall integrity of future Association elections.
