Badejo-Okusanya Declared 33rd NBA President
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has been declared the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association after securing the highest votes in the 2026 NBA national elections. The Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA) Chairman, Aham Ejelam, SAN, announced the results at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja on Sunday. A total of 26,184 out of 82,172 registered voters participated, representing a voter turnout of 31.86 percent.
Badejo-Okusanya polled 12,317 votes, which accounted for 47.18 percent of all votes cast. Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN, finished second with 7,934 votes (30.39 percent), while Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, garnered 5,855 votes (22.43 percent). Her victory makes her only the second woman to lead the NBA, following Priscilla Kuye, who served from 1991 to 1992. Badejo-Okusanya will serve a two-year term from 2026 to 2028.
Full Results for Other NBA Positions
In the race for First Vice-President, Chief Oghenero Okoro won with 11,024 votes (44.85 percent), ahead of Luqman Adekunle Laoye on 7,044 votes (28.66 percent) and Obajaja Onimisi Stephen on 6,511 votes (26.49 percent). The Second Vice-President and Third Vice-President positions went uncontested to Egya Nuhu John and Pepple Iniobong Irene, respectively, each receiving 100 percent of the votes.
Afam O. Okeke claimed the General Secretary position with 8,478 votes (33.58 percent) in a six-candidate field. Aghogho Gladys Okpomor won the Assistant General Secretary role with 14,312 votes (56.76 percent), while Esther Ifeoma Jimoh ran unopposed for Treasurer. Audrey Chinelo Ofoegbunam won the Welfare Secretary position with 14,911 votes (60.43 percent). Dr Prince I. Azubuike took the Publicity Secretary seat with 14,686 votes (61.95 percent), defeating Lawrence Shegun Ayewa, who polled 9,021 votes (38.05 percent). Hadiza Nasir Ahmad won the Assistant Publicity Secretary contest with 10,094 votes (40.83 percent).
Zonal Representative Results
For the zonal representative positions, Rotimi Komolafe won the Western Zone seat with 14,816 votes (43.17 percent), beating Precious Ndidi Nwadimuya on 10,031 votes and Dhikrullah Adewale Balogun on 9,476 votes. The Eastern Zone Representative race produced no outright winner under a simple majority framework, with Chidi Betsy Nnaji leading the eight-candidate field on 10,497 votes (17.32 percent), followed by Daniel Kip on 8,121 votes (13.40 percent) and Jane Omonor Apollos-James on 8,079 votes (13.33 percent). In the Northern Zone, Huwaila Muhammad Ibrahim led the seven-candidate contest with 13,327 votes (22.91 percent), ahead of Friday O. Enejor on 10,442 votes (17.95 percent) and Bulus Y. Atsen on 9,086 votes (15.62 percent).
Election Delays and Controversies
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. Despite these challenges, the ECNBA proceeded with the announcement of results. Badejo-Okusanya, the only female presidential candidate, had held 9,053 votes at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday, July 18, 2026, before the final tally.
New NBA President's Vows
In her acceptance statement, Badejo-Okusanya vowed to serve the Nigerian Bar Association with integrity and accountability. She expressed gratitude to her supporters and fellow contestants for enriching the democratic process. She aims to create a better environment for lawyers to earn, live, and practise effectively. Her victory marks a significant milestone for gender representation in the NBA, as she becomes the second woman to hold the presidency in the association's history.
