Badejo-Okusanya Elected 33rd NBA President, Makes History
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has been elected the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) after defeating her two opponents in the association’s 2026 national election. Her victory makes her only the second woman to lead the NBA in its 66-year history.
The result was announced on Sunday, July 19, 2026, by the Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), Aham Ejelam (SAN), at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja after the conclusion of the electronic voting exercise, which experienced delays following technical challenges and a cyberattack.
According to the official results, Badejo-Okusanya polled 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the total votes cast, to defeat Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe (SAN), who secured 7,934 votes (30.39 per cent), while Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN) came third with 5,855 votes (22.43 per cent). A total of 26,106 valid votes were recorded in the election.
With the victory, Badejo-Okusanya will serve a two-year term from 2026 to 2028, succeeding the outgoing NBA President, Afam Osigwe (SAN).
Her emergence is considered a landmark moment for the legal profession, as she becomes the first woman to head the Nigerian Bar Association in 35 years, following Priscilla Kuye, who served as the association’s first female president between 1991 and 1992.
The election attracted significant attention within the legal community after it was initially disrupted by technical issues and an attempted cyberattack on the electronic voting platform before the process was successfully completed.
Lawyers across the country have described her election as a significant milestone for the Bar, expressing optimism that her administration will focus on strengthening the welfare of legal practitioners, promoting professional ethics and advancing reforms within the association.