Badejo-Okusanya makes history as NBA’s second female President in 34 years

Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, has been elected the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), becoming only the second woman to lead the country’s foremost legal body in its history.

Badejo-Okusanya secured victory in the NBA’s 2026 national officers’ election after polling 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the total votes cast, to defeat two fellow Senior Advocates of Nigeria- Lateef Akangbe, who garnered 7,934 votes (30.39 per cent), and Olumuyiwa Akinboro, who polled 5,855 votes (22.43 per cent).

Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), Aham Ejelam, SAN, announced the results at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja on Sunday following the conclusion of the election, which was delayed by technical glitches and a cyberattack on the association’s electronic voting infrastructure.

A total of 26,106 votes were cast in the election.

Badejo-Okusanya will serve a two-year tenure from 2026 to 2028, succeeding Afam Osigwe, SAN. Her election marks a significant milestone for the association, making her the first woman to lead the NBA in more than three decades after Mrs. Priscilla Kuye, who served as president between 1991 and 1992.

Other officials elected into the NBA National Executive Committee include Mr. Oghenero Okoro as First Vice-President with 11,024 votes, Mr. Afam Okeke as General Secretary with 8,478 votes, Mrs. Aghogho Gladys as Assistant General Secretary with 14,312 votes, and Mrs. Chinelo Audrey Ofoegbunam as Welfare Secretary with 14,911 votes.

The president-elect was absent when the results were announced.

Explaining her absence, a member of her campaign team, Aminu Gadanya, SAN, said flight delays prevented her from attending the declaration, adding that she remained committed to fostering unity within the Bar by reaching out to her opponents.

Speaking after the announcement, outgoing NBA President, Afam Osigwe, revealed that the election overcame determined efforts to undermine its credibility, including a cyberattack that forced the Electoral Committee to rebuild and migrate its ICT infrastructure to a more secure server.

He commended the Electoral Committee for ensuring the successful completion of the exercise despite the challenges.

“Our colleagues planned to truncate the election, but we stood firm. Every effort to derail this process failed,” Osigwe said.

Describing the cyberattack as a wake-up call, he stressed the need for stronger cybersecurity measures and better protection of the association’s digital infrastructure.

Osigwe urged the newly elected officers to be magnanimous in victory and appealed to unsuccessful candidates to support the incoming leadership in the interest of the unity and progress of the association.

“The unity of the Bar cannot and should never be negotiated,” he said, expressing confidence that the new leadership would build on the achievements of the outgoing administration while addressing identified shortcomings.