Breaking: Badejo-Okusanya Wins NBA Presidential Race, Details Emerge
- Senior Advocate Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya polled 12,317 votes to defeat two other SANs in the 2026 NBA national election
- The election was held under threat, as outgoing president Osigwe revealed a cyberattack forced a full migration of the electoral ICT system
- Badejo-Okusanya's victory makes her only the second woman to lead the Nigerian Bar Association since its founding
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
FCT, Abuja - Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has been declared the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association, winning the 2026 national officers' election ahead of two fellow Senior Advocates after a vote marred by technical disruptions and an attempted cyberattack.
Aham Ejelam, SAN, Chairman of the NBA Electoral Committee, confirmed that Badejo-Okusanya secured 12,317 votes, amounting to 47.18 per cent of the total 26,106 votes cast.
Source: Twitter
He added that her closest rival, Lateef Akangbe, SAN, finished on 7,934 votes, or 30.39 per cent, while the third candidate, Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, received 5,855 votes, representing 22.43 per cent.
As reported by The Punch, Ejelam announced the results on Sunday, July 19, 2026, at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja.
Badejo-Okusanya will serve a two-year term running from 2026 to 2028. Her election carries historic weight: she becomes only the second woman to lead the association, following Priscilla Kuye, who held the office between 1991 and 1992.
Other NBA officers elected
According to Channels Television, Oghenero Okoro won the First Vice-President position with 11,024 votes, while Afam Okeke was elected General Secretary with 8,478 votes.
Aghogho Gladys claimed the post of Assistant General Secretary with 14,312 votes, and Chinelo Audrey Ofoegbunam emerged as Welfare Secretary after polling 14,911 votes.
Badejo-Okusanya was not present in Abuja when the results were read out. A member of her campaign team, Aminu Gadanya, SAN, attributed her absence to a flight delay and indicated the president-elect intended to reach out to all candidates who did not succeed in the interest of unity within the association.
Cyberattack clouds NBA election process
Outgoing NBA President Afam Osigwe, SAN, spoke candidly about the threats that surrounded the electoral process.
Osigwe disclosed that a cyberattack had compelled the electoral committee to rebuild and transfer its ICT infrastructure to a more secure server before the vote could proceed.
"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 urged winning candidates to embrace those who lost and called for a united front ahead of the new executive's tenure.
"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 acceptably do things."
Osigwe also announced that the Electoral Committee would undertake a thorough review of the election's conduct, focusing on strengthening cybersecurity and rebuilding confidence in the NBA's electoral framework ahead of future polls.
Source: Twitter
NBA election: Popular candidate takes early lead
Recall that Badejo-Okusanya, the only female presidential candidate, held 9,053 votes at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday, July 18, 2026.
Voting started over seven hours late after a cyberattack disrupted the platform, forcing the election to extend into Sunday morning.
One of her rivals, Lateef Akangbe, filed a protest letter demanding the suspension of the election over multiple alleged irregularities.
Rivers' administrator to drag NBA to court
Legit.ng earlier reported that the sole administrator in Rivers state insisted that the N300 million paid to the NBA by Governor Siminalayi Fubara was for the hosting rights of the 2025 annual general conference (AGC).
Ibok-Ete Ibas' leadership in the oil-rich state rejected the claim of the legal body that the payment was a "gift" and threatened to take legal action against the sole administrator.
NBA had claimed that it did not collect a hosting fee of N300 million from the administration of suspended Governor Fubara.
Source: Legit.ng
