An Oyo state high court sitting in Ibadan has restrained members of the electoral committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) from carrying out any duties related to the association’s 2026 national officers’ election.
The court also barred Afam Osigwe, the NBA President from taking steps to constitute the electoral committee or interfering in the election process pending the determination of the case before it.
The order was issued by Justice G. A. Opayinka on March 4 following an ex parte application filed by four lawyers who challenged the legitimacy of the electoral process.
The applicants, Ibrahim Lawal, Raymond Oki, Omotan Olusola Ogunmodede and Gabriel Ojo Adekunle Ijalana asked the court to stop members of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) from performing any role connected to the conduct of the association’s forthcoming national election.
According to the enrolled order, the fifth to ninth defendants were restrained from presenting themselves as chairman, secretary or members of the ECNBA or participating in any activity linked to the 2026 NBA national officers’ election.
Justice Opayinka further directed that the NBA president should not take any action toward forming the electoral committee or influence the conduct of the election in any manner pending further proceedings.
The court ruled that the restraining orders would remain in effect until the hearing and determination of a motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction. The matter was subsequently adjourned to March 12.
The suit, marked I/221/2026, lists the incorporated trustees of the NBA, Osigwe, the Body of Benchers and the Attorney-General of the Federation as defendants, alongside Ahamefule J. Elam, chairman of the ECNBA, and other members of the committee.
Earlier, the same court had issued another interim order on February 24 restraining the NBA from recognising or processing the nomination of any presidential candidate for the 2026 election except the consensus candidate of Egbe Amofin O’odua.
The order, issued in suit I/205/2026 filed by the incorporated trustees of the group, effectively halted the presidential nomination process pending the hearing of an interlocutory application.
