Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya has been elected the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) after emerging victorious in the association’s national election. Africans& Diaspora
Announcing the results at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja on Sunday, July 19, Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), Aham Ejelam, said Badejo-Okusanya polled 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the total votes cast, to defeat her closest challenger, Lateef Akangbe, who secured 7,934 votes, representing 30.39 per cent.
The third presidential candidate, Olumuyiwa Akinboro, polled 5,855 votes, representing 22.43 per cent of the total votes cast. According to the ECNBA, a total of 26,106 votes were cast from 82,172 registered voters, representing a voter turnout of 31.86 per cent.
The election also produced Oghenero Okoro as First Vice-President after polling 11,024 votes. Afam Okeke was elected General Secretary with 8,478 votes, while Aghogho Gladys won the position of Assistant General Secretary with 14,312 votes. Chinelo Ofoegbunam emerged as Welfare Secretary after securing 14,911 votes.
Speaking after the announcement of the results, outgoing NBA President Afam Osigwe said the election survived attempts to undermine the process, including a cyberattack that forced the ECNBA to rebuild and migrate its ICT infrastructure to a more secure server.
“Our colleagues planned to truncate the election but we stood firm. Every effort to derail this process failed. This is a trying time for the Bar. In the build-up to this election, many went to a great extent to rubbish the association,” Osigwe said. He urged the newly elected national officers to be magnanimous in victory and called on those who were unsuccessful to support the incoming leadership.
“To those who won, be magnanimous in victory; for those who lost, there is always another day. The cyber attack shows that we must do more in data protection. Let us collectively do things in an acceptable manner,” he said. Osigwe added that the circumstances surrounding the election would eventually become known.
“Someday, the story will be told of how this election was almost sabotaged. We must be able to promote the rule of law, and the NBA, made up of lawyers, should be able to determine the course of its electoral process. Where we made mistakes, I believe my successor will correct them.
“Winners should extend the hands of fellowship to those who lost and have a united front to move the Bar forward. The unity of the Bar cannot and should never be negotiated. As I now bow out, I wish the new EXCO all the very best in office. May we never see the day when those who lead us will be elected by people other than lawyers.”
Osigwe further disclosed that the ECNBA would conduct a comprehensive review of the election, focusing on the challenges encountered during the exercise, with the aim of strengthening future NBA elections and improving the association’s cybersecurity and electoral processes.