Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has been elected the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), becoming only the second woman to lead the prestigious legal body since its establishment in 1933.
Badejo-Okusanya emerged victorious after securing 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the 26,106 valid ballots cast in the association’s nationwide electronic election.
The 24-hour online voting exercise commenced at 7:35 a.m. on Saturday and concluded at 7:34 a.m. on Sunday, with legal practitioners across the country participating in the process.
As the only female candidate in the presidential race, Badejo-Okusanya defeated her two challengers to clinch the top position, marking a historic milestone by ending a 34-year wait for another woman to occupy the NBA’s highest office.
Also elected was Afam Okeke, who emerged as the association’s General Secretary after polling 8,478 votes to defeat his opponents.
The newly elected national officers will serve a two-year tenure, from 2026 to 2028.
Although Badejo-Okusanya was not present at the NBA headquarters in Abuja when the election results were announced due to a delayed flight, a member of her campaign team, Aminu Gadanya, SAN, received the news on her behalf. He said the President-elect is committed to extending a “handshake of friendship” to her fellow contestants and fostering unity within the association as she prepares to assume office.
