Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has been elected as the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
She won the 2026 NBA national election held in Abuja on Sunday, July 19, 2026, polling 12,317 votes to defeat Lateef Akangbe, SAN, who got 7,934 votes and Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, with 5,855 votes.
A total of 26,106 votes were cast.
Chairman of the NBA Electoral Committee, Aham Ejelam, SAN, announced the results at the NBA Secretariat.
The poll was delayed by technical issues and a cyberattack that forced the committee to migrate to a new server.
With the win, Badejo-Okusanya becomes the first elected NBA female President and only the second female to lead the NBA, after Priscilla Kuye in 1991.
She will serve a two-year term from 2026 to 2028.
Other winners include Oghenero Okoro as 1st Vice-President, Afam Okeke as General Secretary, Aghogho Gladys as Assistant General Secretary, and Chinelo Ofoegbunam as Welfare Secretary.
Badejo-Okusanya was absent due to a flight delay. Her campaign team said she is ready to reach out to other candidates to ensure unity.
Outgoing President, Afam Osigwe, SAN, commended the committee for resisting attempts to sabotage the election. He urged winners to be magnanimous and losers to support the new leadership, stressing that the unity of the Bar must not be compromised.
The ECNBA said it will review the process to strengthen cybersecurity and restore confidence ahead of future elections.
In her message of gratitude after the victory, Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, wrote:
A BBOLD MESSAGE OF GRATITUDE
Today, I am filled with profound gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility.
Thank you to the members of the Nigerian Bar Association for the confidence you have reposed in me by electing me as your President. I am deeply humbled by your trust.
This victory belongs to all of us who believe in A BOLDER BAR THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE. Thank you to every member who supported this vision, to my fellow contestants for enriching our democratic process, and to every colleague who participated in this election.
To the BBOLD Campaign Council, our volunteers, coordinators, supporters, friends, and colleagues; thank you for your unwavering commitment, sacrifice, and belief. Your dedication made this journey possible.
To my husband, my family, mentors, and everyone who stood by me with your prayers, encouragement, and support, I am forever grateful.
The campaign is over. The work begins now.
I pledge to serve every member of the Nigerian Bar Association with integrity, humility, courage, and accountability. Together, we will build an NBA where lawyers can earn better, live better, and practise better.
Thank you once again for this great honour.
May God bless the Nigerian Bar Association and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, FCIArb (UK)
President-Elect
Nigerian Bar Association
Original report by DeKingsTv