By Palang Paul
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has been elected President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), becoming the association’s second female leader.
The election result was announced on Sunday 19th July 2026 after members of the association concluded a 24-hour electronic voting process held from Saturday to Sunday.
Badejo-Okusanya polled 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the 26,106 valid ballots cast, to defeat two other candidates and emerge winner of the 2026 NBA presidential election.
She was the only female candidate in the three-way contest for the association’s highest office and will succeed the outgoing NBA President at the end of the current administration.
Her victory comes days after concerns emerged over the credibility of the election following the detention of the Managing Director of the NBA’s election service provider by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The Nigerian Bar Association had confirmed that the service provider’s managing director was released shortly after an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC), which resolved that the election would proceed as scheduled.
The association condemned the detention, describing it as disturbing and capable of undermining confidence in the electoral process, while reaffirming its commitment to conducting a free, fair and credible election.
The NBA also called on relevant authorities to respect the association’s autonomy and refrain from actions capable of interfering with its internal democratic processes.
With her election, Badejo-Okusanya becomes only the second woman to lead Nigeria’s umbrella body for legal practitioners, marking a significant milestone in the history of the association.
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