Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, has been elected as the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), making history as the second woman to lead the association in more than 60 years. She follows Mrs. Priscilla Kuye, who served as NBA president between 1991 and 1992.
Newsonspot gathered that Badejo-Okusanya emerged victorious in the 2026 NBA national officers’ election after defeating two fellow Senior Advocates of Nigeria in a keenly contested poll. The Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), Aham Ejelam, SAN, announced the results on Sunday at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja after delays caused by technical issues and a cyberattack.
According to the official results, Badejo-Okusanya secured 12,317 votes (47.18%) to defeat her closest challenger, Lateef Akangbe, SAN, who polled 7,934 votes (30.39%), while Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, received 5,855 votes (22.43%). A total of 26,106 votes were cast during the election.
The president-elect will serve a two-year term from 2026 to 2028. Other officials elected include Oghenero Okoro as First Vice-President, Afam Okeke as General Secretary, Aghogho Gladys as Assistant General Secretary, and Chinelo Audrey Ofoegbunam as Welfare Secretary.
Badejo-Okusanya was absent during the announcement of the results due to flight delays. However, a member of her campaign team, Aminu Gadanya, SAN, said she remains committed to promoting unity within the association and is ready to work with all contestants in the interest of strengthening the NBA.
Outgoing NBA President, Afam Osigwe, SAN, disclosed that the election process survived several attempts to disrupt it, including a cyberattack that forced the electoral committee to migrate its ICT infrastructure to a more secure server.
Osigwe urged the newly elected officers to be humble in victory and called on unsuccessful candidates to support the new leadership. He also stressed the need for stronger data protection measures following the cyberattack and encouraged members of the association to continue upholding the integrity and unity of the Nigerian Bar Association.
