Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has been elected the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), making history as the first woman to be elected to the association’s highest office.
The Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), Chief Aham Ejelam, SAN, announced the results on Sunday after the conclusion of the electronic voting process.
Badejo-Okusanya polled 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the total votes cast, to defeat Lateef Akangbe, SAN, who secured 7,934 votes (30.39 per cent), while Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, came third with 5,855 votes (22.43 per cent). A total of 26,106 valid votes were recorded in the election.
Her victory also makes her only the second woman to lead the NBA, following Dame Priscilla Kuye, who served as president in 1991 after the then-president, Clement Akpamgbo, SAN, left office following his appointment as Attorney General of the Federation.
In the election for General Secretary, Afam Okeke emerged victorious after polling 8,478 votes to defeat other candidates.
The newly elected national officers will serve a two-year term from 2026 to 2028.
Although Badejo-Okusanya was absent during the announcement of the results at the NBA headquarters in Abuja due to a flight delay, a member of her campaign team, Aminu Gadanya, SAN, said she intends to extend a “handshake of friendship” to all the other candidates following the election.
