Badejo-Okusanya Leads As Early NBA Election Results Emerge

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has emerged as the early frontrunner in the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) presidential election following the release of the first batch of results. Results available as of 11:33 a.m. on Saturday showed that Badejo-Okusanya had secured 4,860 votes, representing 41.77 per cent of the ballots counted. Her closest rival, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe (SAN), polled 3,851 votes, accounting for 33.10 per cent, while Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN) received 2,924 votes, representing 25.13 per cent. Although the final outcome had yet to be declared as of the time of filing this report, the 11,600 votes counted so far placed Badejo-Okusanya in a commanding early lead. The release of the early results came hours after voting eventually commenced following a delay caused by a cyberattack on the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association’s electronic voting platform. The Electoral Committee had earlier disclosed that the platform suffered what it described as a coordinated cyberattack by external actors, forcing voting to begin later than the scheduled midnight commencement. Despite the disruption, the committee assured members that the integrity of the election had been protected and voting proceeded after the platform was restored. The election also comes against the backdrop of allegations that the NBA leadership was attempting to influence the outcome of the poll. Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Friday, NBA President, Afam Osigwe (SAN), dismissed claims that he was trying to rig or interfere in the election. Osigwe insisted that the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association operated independently and did not take instructions from him. He also denied backing any preferred presidential candidate, describing the allegations as politically motivated and unsupported by evidence. The controversy surrounding the election had intensified in the weeks leading to the poll, with some presidential candidates and stakeholders questioning the credibility of the process. Among the concerns raised were calls for the election to be postponed, demands for mandatory National Identification Number verification for voters and allegations that the NBA leadership was attempting to influence the outcome. The association consistently denied the claims, maintaining that only the Electoral Committee was constitutionally empowered to organise and conduct the election.