Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN) is the new President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
She emerged winner of the NBA’s 2026 national elections, defeating two other SANs to become the association’s 33rd president.
ECNBA Chairman Aham Ejelam (SAN) announced the results Sunday in Abuja after the poll, which suffered delays from technical issues and a cyberattack.
Badejo-Okusanya secured 12,317 votes — 47.18 per cent — ahead of Lateef Akangbe, SAN, with 7,934 votes or 30.39 per cent.
Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN) came third with 5,855 votes, representing 22.43 per cent.
A total of 26,106 votes were recorded, Ejelam said.
With her victory, Badejo-Okusanya will serve as the association’s president for a two-year tenure spanning 2026 to 2028.
Her victory also makes her the second female president of the association, after Priscilla Kuye, who led the NBA from 1991 to 1992.
Other elected national officers include Oghenero Okoro, who emerged as First Vice-President with 11,024 votes; Afam Okeke, who was elected General Secretary with 8,478 votes.
Aghogho Gladys, who won the position of Assistant General Secretary with 14,312 votes; and Chinelo Audrey Ofoegbunam, who emerged as Welfare Secretary with 14,911 votes.
Badejo-Okusanya was absent when the results were announced.
However, a member of her campaign team, Aminu Gadanya, SAN, attributed her absence to a flight delay and said the president-elect was committed to extending a “handshake of friendship” to all aggrieved candidates in the interest of unity.
Speaking after the declaration of the results, the outgoing NBA President, Afam Osigwe, SAN, said the election survived attempts to derail the process, including a cyberattack that forced the electoral committee to rebuild and migrate its ICT system 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 great lengths to rubbish the association,” he said.
He urged the newly elected officers to be magnanimous in victory and called on unsuccessful candidates to support the new leadership.
“To those who won, be magnanimous in victory; for those who lost, there is always another day. The cyberattack shows that we must do more in data protection. Let us collectively do things in an acceptable manner,” Osigwe said.
He also said:“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.
“Winners should extend the hand 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.”
Osigwe also said the Electoral Committee would conduct a comprehensive review of the electoral process, particularly the challenges encountered, with a view to strengthening confidence in future NBA elections and improving the association’s cybersecurity and electoral integrity.
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