Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya Assumes Office as 33rd NBA President
Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, has officially assumed office as the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), succeeding Afam Osigwe, SAN, as the head of Nigeria’s umbrella body for lawyers.
Badejo-Okusanya was sworn into office on Friday at a ceremony in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, following the expiration of Osigwe’s tenure.
The oath of office was administered by the immediate past NBA president, who thereafter formally transferred the leadership of the association to his successor.
As part of the transition, Osigwe presented Badejo-Okusanya with a handover note detailing the activities and affairs of his administration. He explained that a more comprehensive document would be made available subsequently.
“This is your handover note. A more comprehensive one will be given to you later. I hereby now out,” Osigwe said as he formally ended his tenure.
Badejo-Okusanya’s assumption of office makes her only the second woman to become President of the Nigerian Bar Association since the association was established.
She emerged victorious in the NBA’s 2026 presidential election, defeating fellow Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe and Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro.
The election was conducted electronically but was marked by allegations of voter disenfranchisement. The Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) subsequently extended the voting period to give more eligible lawyers an opportunity to participate.
Badejo-Okusanya ultimately received 12,317 votes, accounting for 47.18 per cent of the total votes cast. Akangbe polled 7,934 votes to finish second, while Akinboro secured 5,855 votes.
The election was further affected by a disruption to the electronic voting system after the ECNBA reported what it described as a “deliberate, coordinated and sustained cyberattack” against the voting platform.
The electoral committee later restored the system, transferred the voting portal to a new secure domain and extended the deadline for voting until the following day.
Despite the controversies and allegations that accompanied the process, the ECNBA maintained that the election produced “a free, fair, and credible electoral process.”
After her victory, Badejo-Okusanya pledged to lead the Nigerian Bar Association with integrity while making the welfare, professional development and interests of lawyers central to her administration.
“I am truly humbled by the confidence that members of the Nigerian Bar Association have reposed in me by electing me to serve as your President,” she said after being declared winner.
The new NBA president said the victory was not solely hers, but belonged to the lawyers who supported her campaign and subscribed to her vision for a stronger and more inclusive professional body.
“Thank you for believing in our shared vision of ‘A Bolder Bar That Works For Everyone’. This victory is not mine alone; it belongs to every member who believed that our Association can be stronger, more inclusive, more responsive, and better positioned to serve the interests of all lawyers,” she said.
Badejo-Okusanya also reflected on her campaign across Nigeria, saying her engagements with lawyers provided an opportunity to understand their concerns, expectations and aspirations. She added that those conversations would remain important to the direction of her administration.
“Over the past months, I had the privilege of travelling across our nation, engaging with colleagues in every state of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory. I listened to your hopes, your concerns, your aspirations, and your ideas. Those conversations shaped this campaign, and they will continue to guide my leadership,” she stated.
She further called for unity within the Nigerian legal profession, including among lawyers who backed her opponents during the presidential election.
According to her, the conclusion of the electoral contest should now give way to a collective effort to strengthen the legal profession, defend justice and uphold the rule of law.
“The election is over. We are one Bar, united by a common commitment to the advancement of our profession and the defence of justice and the rule of law,” she said.
Badejo-Okusanya congratulated the other candidates who contested the election and expressed her readiness to work with them and other members of the NBA.
“I look forward to working with you as partners in building an NBA that reflects the very best of our profession,” she added.
She also outlined her commitment to improving the welfare of lawyers and expanding opportunities for members of the profession to earn a better living while practising law.
“Today marks not the end of a campaign, but the beginning of a new responsibility,” she said.
“I pledge to lead with integrity, courage, humility, fairness, and accountability. I will be a President for every member of the Nigerian Bar Association. Together, we will build an Association where every lawyer has the opportunity to earn better, live better, and practise better.”
“The work begins now,” she added.
Also Read: Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN Elected 33rd President of Nigerian Bar Association
Badejo-Okusanya’s relationship with the Nigerian Bar Association spans more than two decades. She attended her first NBA conference in 2002, shortly after she was called to the Nigerian Bar.
Her emergence as the 33rd President now places her at the helm of the NBA at a time when issues including lawyers’ welfare, professional opportunities, access to justice, the rule of law and the integrity of the legal profession remain central to discussions within the association.
