The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) entered a definitive new era on Sunday afternoon, July 19, 2026, as Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, was officially declared the winner of the fiercely contested 2026 national presidential election. Her victory marks a monumental shift in the leadership landscape of Africa’s largest bar association, making her the first woman to win the presidency in the 21st century.
​The Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA), led by Chairman Chief Aham Ejelam, SAN, announced the final results at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja following a rigorous 24-hour electronic voting process that concluded at 7:34 a.m.
​Badejo-Okusanya secured a resounding mandate, comfortably defeating her two main rivals Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN and Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN.
​Out of the 82,172 legal practitioners verified to vote, a total of 26,106 valid ballots were cast via the secure online portal. The historic triumph positions Badejo-Okusanya as only the second female president in the NBA’s 66-year history, following in the footsteps of Dame Priscilla Kuye, who served from 1991 to 1992.
​Though a flight delay prevented the President-elect from arriving at the Abuja headquarters in time for the live declaration, her campaign representative, Mr. Aminu Gadanya, SAN, accepted the certificate of return on her behalf. In a brief statement, Gadanya emphasized her administration’s core pillar of inclusivity.
​”This is a victory for every Nigerian lawyer. The President-elect extends a warm handshake of friendship to her co-contestants and invites them to collaborate in building a stronger, more independent judiciary.”
​Badejo-Okusanya is set to take over the reins of power from the outgoing president, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, for a two-year term (2026–2028). She will lead a newly minted executive team that includes Mr. Afam Okeke, who won the race for General Secretary with 8,478 votes.
​The incoming NBA President brings decades of elite private and public sector experience to the role. She serves as the Co-Head of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice at the prestigious firm Africa Law Practice NG & Company (ALP NG & Co).
She previously shaped judicial policy as the Senior Special Assistant on Justice Sector Reform for the Lagos State Government under the administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola.
She was elevated to the inner bar as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) on September 29, 2025, and sits on the board of the Lagos Court of Arbitration.
The formal inauguration and handing-over ceremony will headline the upcoming NBA Annual General Conference, scheduled to take place in Port Harcourt later this month.
