Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya has been elected the 33rd NBA president after defeating two senior lawyers in the 2026 election, which survived a cyberattack and attempted disruption.
The Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) has announced Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya as the 33rd president of the Nigerian Bar Association, following an election that survived a cyberattack and multiple attempts at disruption.
The results were announced by Aham Ejelam, chairman of the ECNBA, on Sunday at the NBA national secretariat in Abuja after the conclusion of the exercise.
Badejo-Okusanya secured 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 percent of the total votes cast, to defeat her closest challenger, Lateef Akangbe, who secured 7,934 votes, representing 30.39 percent. The third presidential candidate, Olumuyiwa Akinboro,secure5,855 votes, representing 22.43 percent of the total votes.
The poll recorded 26,106 votes from 82,172 registered voters, representing a 31.86 percent participation rate, according to the ECNBA.
Other elected national officers
Also elected were Oghenero Okoro, who polled 11,024 votes to emerge first vice-president; Afam Okeke, who secured 8,478 votes to become general secretary; Aghogho Gladys, who won the assistant general secretary position with 14,312 votes; and Chinelo Ofoegbunam, who was elected welfare secretary after polling 14,911 votes.
All elected officials will serve a two-year term from 2026 to 2028, with inauguration scheduled for the NBA Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, from August 21 to 28.
Outgoing president: the election was almost sabotaged
Afam Osigwe, the outgoing NBA president, said the election withstood attempts to undermine the process, including a cyberattack that forced the ECNBA to rebuild and migrate its ICT infrastructure to a more secure server.
“Our colleagues planned to truncate the election but we stood firm. Every effort to derail this process failed. This is a trying time for the Bar. In the build-up to this election, many went to a great extent to rubbish the association,” he said.
Osigwe urged the newly elected national officers to be gracious in victory and called on those who lost to rally behind the incoming leadership.
“To those who won, be magnanimous in victory; for those who lost, there is always another day. The cyber attack shows that we must do more in data protection. Let us collectively do things in an acceptable manner,” he said.
He added a sombre warning about what nearly happened.
“Someday, the story will be told of how this election was almost sabotaged. We must be able to promote the rule of law, and the NBA, made up of lawyers, should be able to determine the course of its electoral process. Where we made mistakes, I believe my successor will correct them.”
Osigwe called for unity as he stepped down.
“Winners should extend the hands of fellowship to those who lost and have a united front to move the Bar forward. The unity of the Bar cannot and should never be negotiated. As I now bow out, I wish the new EXCO all the very best in office. May we never see the day when those who lead us will be elected by people other than lawyers.”
He added that the ECNBA would undertake a comprehensive review of the election, with a focus on the challenges encountered during the exercise, to strengthen future NBA polls and improve the association’s cybersecurity and electoral process.
Badejo-Okusanya becomes only the second woman to lead the Nigerian Bar Association in its history, following Priscilla Kuye, who served as the association’s first female president between 1991 and 1992. Her election comes 34 years after that historic precedent.
