Historic Victory for Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya
Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya has been elected the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), securing 12,317 votes—47.18% of the total cast—in the association's national election. The results were announced on Sunday, July 19, at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja by Aham Ejelam, Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA).
Results and Voter Turnout
Badejo-Okusanya defeated her closest challenger, Lateef Akangbe, who garnered 7,934 votes (30.39%), and Olumuyiwa Akinboro, who polled 5,855 votes (22.43%). According to the ECNBA, a total of 26,106 votes were cast from 82,172 registered voters, resulting in a voter turnout of 31.86%.
Other elected officers include Oghenero Okoro as First Vice-President with 11,024 votes; Afam Okeke as General Secretary with 8,478 votes; Aghogho Gladys as Assistant General Secretary with 14,312 votes; and Chinelo Ofoegbunam as Welfare Secretary with 14,911 votes.
Outgoing President Reveals Cyberattack
Outgoing NBA President Afam Osigwe disclosed that the election process faced a significant cyberattack, which forced the ECNBA to rebuild and migrate its ICT infrastructure to a more secure server. “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 a great extent to rubbish the association,” Osigwe said.
He urged the newly elected officers to be magnanimous in victory and called on unsuccessful candidates to support the incoming leadership. “To those who won, be magnanimous in victory; for those who lost, there is always another day. The cyber attack shows that we must do more in data protection. Let us collectively do things in an acceptable manner,” he added.
Call for Unity and Electoral Integrity
Osigwe emphasized the importance of unity within the Bar, stating, “Winners should extend the hands of fellowship to those who lost and have a united front to move the Bar forward. The unity of the Bar cannot and should never be negotiated. As I now bow out, I wish the new EXCO all the very best in office. May we never see the day when those who lead us will be elected by people other than lawyers.”
He further disclosed that the ECNBA would conduct a comprehensive review of the election, focusing on challenges encountered, to strengthen future NBA elections and improve cybersecurity and electoral processes.
