More trouble for NBA as court asked to stop swearing in of President-elect, others
Dispute Over Nigerian Bar Association Election Leads to Court Challenge
A group of lawyers has petitioned the Abuja Federal High Court to prevent the swearing-in of Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, the recently elected president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), amid ongoing allegations of irregularities in the election process.
Badejo-Okusanya received 12,317 votes, defeating other candidates Lateef Akangbe, SAN, and Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN. She is scheduled to take office on August 21, 2026, succeeding the outgoing president, Afam Osigwe, SAN.
The election, which employed electronic voting, has been marred by accusations of procedural issues. The court has been asked to issue a temporary injunction against the inauguration, as outlined in a pending suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/1471/2026) filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP). The Attorney-General of the Federation and the NBA are named as respondents.
The initial summons requested the court to prevent the AGF from interfering with the NBA election and to bar the AGF and the NBA from impacting the new Blue Silks rank of Senior Counsel, designed for non-litigation lawyers. ALDRAP also sought to appoint independent observers from the Nigerian Law Society and the Law Society of Lesotho for the election.
In additional filings on July 20, 2026, ALDRAP aimed to include Badejo-Okusanya and other individuals and organizations as parties in the suit. This includes Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN; Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN; as well as Amnesty International, YIAGA, and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG).
The association is seeking an order to prohibit the swearing-in of Badejo-Okusanya and other national officers until the conclusion of the case. They also requested to maintain the status quo regarding NBA leadership during ongoing litigation.
ALDRAP contends that issues such as voter disenfranchisement, technical failures of the e-voting system, and non-compliance with the NBA’s approved schedule have compromised the election’s integrity. They argue that the inclusion of the proposed new parties is essential for resolving ongoing disputes about the election’s legitimacy.
Jesse Williams Amuga, Esq., administrative secretary of ALDRAP, expressed concerns about the election’s oversight. He noted that no independent observers have publicly reported on their experiences during the voting process, raising questions about the election’s transparency.
“Twenty-four hours after the NBA election, not a single observer has corroborated the deployment of the e-voting infrastructure,” Amuga stated. “If respected organizations refrain from commenting, it raises significant concerns regarding the entire process.”
