Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has been elected as the next president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) after emerging as the top candidate in the association’s electronic election.
Badejo-Okusanya, who was the only female candidate among the three contenders, secured 12,317 votes out of the 26,106 ballots cast, representing 47.18 per cent of the total votes, to win the election conducted over a 24-hour period.
She defeated Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN, who finished second with 7,934 votes representing 30.39 per cent, while Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, came third with 5,855 votes representing 22.43 per cent.
The election results were monitored through a live dashboard that provided updates throughout the voting period. A total of 26,184 votes were recorded across the 13 national officer positions, representing a voter turnout of 31.86 per cent from the 82,172 registered voters.
Although the final figures had been released, the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA) was yet to formally announce the outcome.
Upon her inauguration, Badejo-Okusanya will become the 33rd president of the NBA and the second woman to occupy the position in the association’s 66-year history. She follows Priscilla Kuye, who became the first female NBA president in 1991.
The incoming NBA president is expected to be inaugurated alongside other newly elected national officers during the association’s Annual General Conference scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in August. The outgoing president, Afam Osigwe, and his executive team will formally hand over to the new leadership during the event.
In her reaction to the victory, Badejo-Okusanya expressed appreciation to lawyers across Nigeria for their confidence and promised to lead the association with integrity, humility and accountability.
She described the victory as a collective achievement for supporters of her vision of building “A Bolder Bar That Works for Everyone,” while also commending her fellow contestants for contributing to a peaceful electoral process.
The president-elect stated that the campaign period had ended and the focus would now shift to delivering on her promises, particularly improving the welfare, earnings and professional experiences of Nigerian lawyers.
