Foul Play or Fair Fight? NBA Election Rocked by Irregularities as Lawyers Demand Transparency
The Nigerian Bar Association's 2026 presidential election sees Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya leading, amidst widespread technical glitches and allegations of irregularities. The election, delayed by a cyberattack, also faced a rejected attempt by the Attorney General to postpone it, while the NBA asserts its independence and commitment to transparency.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Presidential Election for 2026 has been marked by significant developments and controversies, with Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and the sole female candidate, widening her lead in the fiercely contested race. As of PREMIUM TIMES' check at 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya had secured 11,352 votes, representing 46.69 percent of the 24,314 votes cast. This put her comfortably ahead of her closest rivals: Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe (SAN), who polled 7,415 votes (30.50 percent), and Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN), with 5,547 votes (22.81 percent).
Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya has maintained her leading position since the election commenced on Saturday. Her vote count increased from 9,053 to 11,352 within approximately six hours, adding about 1.5 decimal points to her previous 45.18 percent share. In contrast, while Mr. Akangbe's votes rose from 6,253 to 7,415, his percentage share slightly decreased from 31.27 percent to 30.50 percent. Similarly, Mr. Akinboro saw his votes increase from 4,709 to 5,547, but his share also dipped from 23.54 percent to 22.81 percent, indicating a significant consolidation of votes for the leading female candidate.
Beyond the presidential race, other national offices also saw candidates taking early leads. Chief Oghenero Okoro was at the forefront for the first vice president position with 10,186 votes (44.52 percent). Afam O. Okeke led the general secretary contest with 7,880 votes (33.50 percent), while Aghogho Gladys Okpomor dominated the assistant general secretary race with 13,330 votes (56.74 percent). Esther Ifeoma Jimoh, the sole candidate for treasurer, had amassed 20,440 votes. Audrey Chinelo Ofoegbunam was leading for welfare secretary with 13,852 votes (60.22 percent), Prince I. Azubuike for publicity secretary with 13,691 votes (61.92 percent), and Hadiza Nasir Ahmad for assistant publicity secretary with 9,378 votes (40.65 percent). In the General Council of the Bar elections, Chidi Betsy Nnaji led the Eastern Zone, Rotimi Komolafe the Western Zone, and Huwaila Muhammad Ibrahim the Northern Zone.
The 2026 NBA election has been marred by several controversies and delays. Originally slated to begin at 12:00 a.m. West African Time on Saturday, voting was postponed until 7:35 a.m. due to what the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) described as a