Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, has officially assumed office as the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), taking over the leadership of the umbrella body for Nigerian lawyers from Afam Osigwe, SAN.
Badejo-Okusanya was sworn in on Friday during an event in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, following the completion of Osigwe’s tenure.
The oath of office was administered by the immediate past president, who subsequently formally handed over the affairs of the association to his successor.
During the handover ceremony, Osigwe presented Badejo-Okusanya with a handover note containing details of the administration’s activities and affairs. He told the new NBA president that a more comprehensive handover document would be provided later.
“This is your handover note. A more comprehensive one will be given to you later. I hereby now out,” Osigwe said as he formally brought his tenure to an end.
With Badejo-Okusanya’s emergence, she becomes the second woman to lead the association since its establishment.
She takes over after winning the NBA’s 2026 presidential election, defeating two other Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe and Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro.
The election, conducted electronically, was clouded by allegations of voter disenfranchisement before the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) extended the voting period to allow more eligible lawyers to participate.
Badejo-Okusanya eventually secured 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the total votes cast. Akangbe came second with 7,934 votes, while Akinboro polled 5,855 votes.
The electoral process was also disrupted after the ECNBA reported what it described as a “deliberate, coordinated and sustained cyberattack” on the voting platform. The committee later restored the system, moved the voting portal to a new secure domain and extended the election deadline to the following day.
Despite concerns and allegations surrounding the process, the electoral committee said it delivered “a free, fair, and credible electoral process.”
Following her victory, Badejo-Okusanya pledged to lead the association with integrity and place the welfare and professional interests of lawyers at the centre of 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 her election.
She also described her victory as belonging to members of the association who supported her campaign and shared her vision of building a stronger and more inclusive NBA.
“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.
The new NBA president said her campaign across the country gave her the opportunity to listen to lawyers about their expectations and challenges, adding that those engagements would influence 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.
Badejo-Okusanya also appealed for unity within the profession, particularly among lawyers who supported her opponents during the election. She said the conclusion of the contest should mark the beginning of a collective effort to advance the legal profession and strengthen 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.
// Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN, FCIArb
// Oyinkansola Badejo-Okunsanya, SAN
She congratulated the other candidates and expressed her willingness to work with them and other members of the profession.
“I look forward to working with you as partners in building an NBA that reflects the very best of our profession,” she added.
Badejo-Okusanya also promised that her administration would focus on improving the welfare of lawyers and creating better opportunities for members to earn a living and practise their profession.
“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.
Her journey with the NBA dates back to 2002, when she attended her first NBA conference shortly after being called to the Nigerian Bar.
