The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has elected Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), as its 33rd president, making her the second woman to lead the association since its founding in 1933.
Announcing the results on Sunday, ECNBA chairman Aham Ejelam, SAN, said Badejo-Okusanya polled 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the 26,106 ballots cast, to defeat Lateef Akangbe, SAN, who took 7,934 votes (30.39 per cent), and Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, who came third with 5,855 votes (22.43 per cent).
Voting, conducted electronically over 24 hours from 7:35 a.m. Saturday to 7:34 a.m. Sunday, was delayed at the outset by what election officials described as a coordinated cyberattack targeting the voting platform. Badejo-Okusanya succeeds outgoing president Afam Osigwe, SAN, and will be inaugurated at the NBA’s Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt on August 21–28.
She becomes the first woman to win the NBA presidency by direct election, 34 years after Priscilla Kuye became the association’s first female president in 1991 by succession rather than a vote.
