Badejo-Okusanya Elected NBA President Amid Protests

Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya was elected as the 33rd president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Sunday, receiving 12,317 votes, which accounted for 47.18% of the total 26,106 votes cast. She defeated two other candidates, Lateef Akangb, who secured 7,934 votes (30.39%), and Olumuyiwa Akinboro, who garnered 5,855 votes (22.43%).

The election, conducted via an electronic voting platform, was marred by technical glitches and allegations of voter disenfranchisement, with many lawyers reportedly unable to cast their votes. Aham Ejelam, the chairman of the electoral committee, announced the results at the NBA national secretariat in Abuja.

Badejo-Okusanya, who will serve a two-year term from 2026 to 2028, is only the second woman to lead the NBA, following Priscilla Kuy's presidency from 1991 to 1992. The election faced criticism from Akangb, who described the process as chaotic and claimed that thousands of lawyers were disenfranchised due to the electronic voting platform's failures.