Badejo-Okunsanya Set to Emerge Second NBA President

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okunsanya, is set to be declared the President-elect of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) after emerging ahead of her rivals as voting in the 2026 NBA national election came to an end.

The election, which was conducted electronically, concluded after the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) extended voting until 7:35 a.m. on Sunday following widespread complaints of technical difficulties and reports that many eligible lawyers were unable to cast their ballots within the initial timeframe.

Results available at the close of voting showed Badejo-Okunsanya leading the presidential race with 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the total votes cast. Her closest challenger, Lateef Akangbe (SAN), polled 7,934 votes, while Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN) finished third with 5,855 votes.

The outcome places Badejo-Okunsanya in a commanding position to become the next president of the association and the first woman to hold the office once the Electoral Committee formally announces the final result.

However, as of the time of filing this report, the ECNBA had yet to officially declare the election concluded or formally announce Badejo-Okunsanya as the winner, despite the conclusion of voting and the available figures indicating an unassailable lead.

The election attracted significant attention after it was disrupted by technical challenges that delayed the commencement of voting. The poll had originally been scheduled to begin at midnight on Saturday but was postponed after the ECNBA disclosed that the electronic voting platform had come under what it described as a “deliberate, coordinated and sustained cyberattack” aimed at disrupting the electoral process.

Following the disruption, the committee apologised to candidates, agents, consultants, observers and eligible voters before announcing that the voting platform had been restored and migrated to a new secure domain to strengthen the integrity of the election.

“As part of heightened security measures introduced to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process, the voting portal has been migrated to a new secured domain,” the committee said while announcing the resumption of voting.

The ECNBA also directed members to use only the designated portal to cast their votes, warning lawyers to ignore any unofficial websites or links.

“The official voting portal should be used exclusively to cast votes. Voting will remain open for exactly 24 hours from the commencement time, after which no votes will be accepted,” the committee stated.

Before voting closed, the contest had appeared highly competitive. Early results released by the election dashboard showed Badejo-Okunsanya leading with 2,592 votes, representing 40.24 per cent of the ballots counted at the time. Akangbe followed with 2,172 votes, while Akinboro had 1,678 votes, making it a closely fought three-way race during the early stages of the election.

The extension of voting until Sunday morning came after lawyers across the country complained of alleged voter disenfranchisement and technical glitches that prevented many eligible members from participating in the election. The ECNBA responded by extending the exercise to ensure more members had the opportunity to vote.

Despite the conclusion of voting, uncertainty remains over whether the outcome will be accepted by all contestants. The election was overshadowed by allegations of vote rigging, sabotage and voter disenfranchisement, although no official determination has been made regarding the claims.

The ECNBA has maintained that it remains committed to conducting “a free, fair, and credible electoral process” and is expected to formally announce the final outcome of the presidential election after completing the necessary post-election procedures. If confirmed, Badejo-Okunsanya will make history as the second female President of the Nigerian Bar Association.