The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) will today conduct one of the most anticipated elections in its history, with more than 30,000 lawyers expected to participate in an electronic voting process to elect new national officers.
The election, which has been marked by intense campaigns, court cases, high-profile endorsements and controversies, will determine the successor to NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN).
Three Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) are contesting for the association’s presidency. They are Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN), Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe (SAN) and Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN).
The presidency is zoned to the Southwest this year after the Midwest, which previously produced Augustine Alegeh (SAN) and Olumide Akpata, stepped aside.
Akinboro, a Life Bencher, previously served as NBA General Secretary and was Secretary as well as Chairman of the NBA Abuja Branch. Akangbe is a former Chairman of the NBA Lagos Branch, former Chairman of the NBA Finance Committee and a member of the Body of Benchers.
Badejo-Okusanya served as General Counsel in the Lagos State Governor’s Office during the Babatunde Fashola administration and was formerly a senior aide on justice sector reform. She is also a member of the Board of the Lagos Court of Arbitration and chaired the Planning Committee for the NBA’s 2024 Annual General Conference.
The Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA) has released the final voters’ register after months of verification, with more than 30,000 lawyers confirmed eligible to vote. Only lawyers who paid their practising fees and branch dues within the stipulated period qualified to participate.
Concerns over the election intensified following the arrest of the Managing Director of the election service provider, raising fears that the poll could be postponed.
However, the NBA National Executive Council (NEC) confirmed that the official had been released and reaffirmed that the election would proceed as scheduled.
During an emergency virtual meeting, the NEC unanimously approved the conduct of the 2026 NBA National Officers and General Council of the Bar elections, insisting there was no operational or logistical reason to delay the process.
The ECNBA assured the council that all preparations had been completed and that adequate technological safeguards were in place to guarantee a free, fair and transparent election.
The council also condemned the arrest and detention of the election service provider’s managing director, describing the incident as disturbing, while urging members to remain peaceful and participate in the election.
It further called on government authorities to respect the independence of the association and avoid actions capable of interfering with its democratic processes.
One of the major controversies before the election stemmed from legal efforts to halt the exercise.
Egbe Amofin Oodua had earlier secured a court order seeking to stop other candidates after endorsing Akinboro as its sole candidate, but the Court of Appeal later overturned the decision.
On the eve of the election, the forum again called for a suspension of the poll to allow for electoral reforms.
Chairman of its Governing Council, Isiaka Olagunju (SAN), alleged that the NBA leadership ignored an earlier agreement with stakeholders to postpone the election and raised concerns over the credibility of the electronic voting system.
He argued that reliance on email verification exposed the process to manipulation, citing recurring cases of compromised email accounts, altered voter profiles and intercepted one-time passwords since 2018.
The group proposed the adoption of verification linked to National Identification Numbers (NIN) and registered telephone numbers to improve transparency and security.
Olagunju warned that conducting the election without such reforms could undermine confidence in the association’s electoral process.
Also on the eve of the poll, the Atiku Media Office alleged attempts to influence the outcome of the election through state institutions and called for respect for the independence of the ECNBA.
Meanwhile, the NBA dismissed reports circulating on social media claiming that the Attorney-General of the Federation had directed the suspension of the election, describing the documents as fake.
To boost confidence in the process, the association invited domestic and international observers, including Yiaga Africa, the European Union, the United States and United Kingdom missions, and the Transition Monitoring Group, to monitor the electronic voting exercise.
Voting will be conducted entirely through the ECNBA online platform. Eligible lawyers are expected to use their unique voting credentials, while each voter will be allowed to cast only one ballot.
The electoral committee also directed lawyers with technical issues to contact its helpdesk and reminded candidates and supporters that campaign activities are prohibited during the voting period.
The ECNBA said results would be announced after voting closes and the collation and verification process is completed.