Following the selection of Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN) as the 33rd president of the Nigerian Bar Association, the post-election landscape has remained relatively calm. While some legal professionals hinted at potential litigation, her primary opponents, Lateef Omoyemi Akangba (SAN) and Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN), have largely accepted the outcome. Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya, while not the first woman to lead the body—that distinction belongs to Dame Priscilla Kuye—is the first female to secure the position through a direct election.
However, her victory highlights underlying issues regarding the NBA’s role as a moral compass in Nigerian politics. The organization has previously faced scrutiny, notably when it struggled to justify retaining a N300 million fund from the Rivers State government despite public disagreements with state leadership. Furthermore, the association has frequently criticized the electoral process and the use of manual result systems, yet it struggled significantly during its own 2026 election due to severe technical failures.
The irony is stark: despite being a small electorate of roughly 82,000 members, the NBA experienced a significant breakdown, with only 26,184 members casting valid votes. This outcome sits in contrast to the organization’s aggressive stance toward national electoral management. While the association now requests public patience regarding its own electoral hiccups, its failure to maintain transparency and technical competence reflects a need for the NBA to address its internal house before attempting to judge the integrity of national political institutions.