A defeated presidential candidate in the 2026 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) election, Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN), has renewed his attack on the conduct of the poll, alleging that the exercise was riddled with irregularities that prevented him from effectively participating and undermined the credibility of the election.
In a statement released after the conclusion of the election, Akinboro alleged that his name was altered on the presidential ballot from “Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro SAN” to “Aare Oluwatoyin Muyiwa Akinboro SAN,” describing the development as a grave error that compromised the integrity of the process.
He also claimed that while the photograph of the eventual winner, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN), appeared on the electronic ballot, the photographs of the other presidential candidates, including his own, were omitted.
According to him, the voter authentication One-Time Password (OTP) was sent through email instead of registered phone numbers as stipulated in the election guidelines, raising questions about the competence of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) and its service providers.
“It therefore begs the question whether the above anomalies were also a part of the cyberattack rather than a clear demonstration of the incompetence and unpreparedness by both the Service Providers and the ECNBA,” Akinboro said.
He further alleged that he was excluded from the presidential ballot because his correct name did not appear among the listed candidates.
“I, Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, was inexplicably excluded from the ballot for the office of President as the names on the ballot for the said office were: Aare Oluwatoyin Muyiwa Akinboro SAN, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe SAN and Oyinkansola Badejo Okusanya SAN (Mrs. B),” he stated.
Akinboro also dismissed the ECNBA’s explanation that a cyberattack disrupted the voting platform, arguing that the reported technical failures pointed instead to poor preparation and incompetence.
He alleged that the election platform failed to commence voting at the scheduled time despite the guidelines fixing the exercise to begin at midnight on July 18.
According to him, the 2026 election was “built on a faulty foundation,” alleging unconstitutional appointments into the ECNBA, partisanship by the NBA leadership, and the selection of incompetent service providers.
“It is no news that from the outset, the entire electoral process… was built on a faulty foundation,” he said, accusing the NBA leadership of deploying the association’s structures in favour of a preferred candidate.
The senior advocate also claimed that he was unable to vote because he never received the authentication code required to access the voting portal, adding that “tens of thousands” of lawyers experienced similar problems.
“Furthermore, I have participated in all the online National Officers election of the NBA but I must say that this election stands out as the most controversial,” he said.
Akinboro further alleged that interventions by senior members of the legal profession to address the challenges and preserve the credibility of the election were resisted by individuals who allegedly benefited from the existing system.
Despite the outcome, he thanked lawyers across the country who supported his candidacy, saying the campaign enabled him to interact with members and exposed what he described as deep-rooted problems within the association.
He alleged that many lawyers were subjected to pressure and intimidation during the election period, insisting that his campaign was aimed at reforming the NBA’s electoral process and restoring internal democracy.
The ECNBA had earlier acknowledged disruptions during the election and attributed them to a cyberattack on its electronic voting platform. However, it proceeded with the exercise after extending the voting period. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN) was subsequently declared the winner of the presidential election.
