Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has been elected President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), making history as only the second woman to lead the country’s foremost association of legal practitioners.
Badejo-Okusanya emerged victorious in the 2026 NBA presidential election after polling 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the 26,106 valid ballots cast in the electronic election conducted over a 24-hour period from Saturday to Sunday.
She defeated two other candidates to secure the association’s highest office, with the results announced shortly after the close of voting on Sunday morning.
Her emergence mark a significant milestone for the NBA, reflecting growing inclusiveness in the leadership of one of Africa’s largest professional associations. Badejo-Okusanya was the only female candidate in the three-way contest.
The election was held amid concerns over the integrity of the process following the brief detention of the Managing Director of the NBA’s election service provider by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The NBA had strongly condemned the incident, describing it as disturbing and capable of undermining confidence in the electoral process. Following an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC), the association resolved that the election would proceed as scheduled after the service provider’s managing director was released.
The association also urged security agencies and relevant authorities to respect its autonomy and refrain from actions capable of interfering with its internal democratic processes.
With her election, Badejo-Okusanya is expected to take over from the outgoing NBA President at the end of the current administration, assuming leadership of the umbrella body for legal practitioners in Nigeria.
Her tenure is expected to focus on strengthening the legal profession, defending the rule of law, promoting judicial independence, and advancing the welfare of members of the association.
