Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has elected Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), as its 33rd President, marking a historic moment as she becomes only the second woman to lead the association in its 93-year history.
Mrs Badejo-Okusanya, the sole female candidate in a three-way race, secured a decisive victory with 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the 26,106 ballots cast in the presidential election.
The election, conducted via electronic voting over a 24-hour period from Saturday morning to Sunday morning, saw her defeat fellow Senior Advocates Lateef Akangbe, who polled 7,934 votes (30.39 per cent), and Olumuyiwa Akinboro, who garnered 5,855 votes (22.43 per cent).
Her triumph re-enacts a 34-year-old history, with Dame Priscilla Olabori Kuye having served as the first female president of the NBA between 1991 and 1992.
The President-elect was notably absent when the results were announced at the NBA headquarters in Abuja due to a flight delay, but a member of her campaign team, Aminu Gadanya, SAN, conveyed her commitment to extending a “handshake of friendship” to all aggrieved candidates, as reported by Channels Television.
In her first public statement following the victory, Mrs Badejo-Okusanya expressed profound gratitude and pledged to lead with integrity, courage, humility, fairness, and accountability.
She dedicated her win to every member who believed in her vision of “A Bolder Bar That Works for Everyone,” promising an inclusive leadership focused on improving the welfare and professional lives of all lawyers.
“I stand before you with a heart filled with profound gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility,” she stated.
“This victory is not mine alone; it belongs to every member who believed that our Association can be stronger, more inclusive, more responsive, and better positioned to serve the interests of all lawyers,” she added in her acceptance remarks.
The election also produced other national officers, with Afam Okeke emerging as the new General Secretary after polling 8,478 votes.
All elected officials will serve a two-year tenure spanning 2026 to 2028.
The election process faced initial technical glitches and concerns over transparency, but the NBA successfully completed the poll, which was supervised by the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA).
