The President-elect of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has expressed profound appreciation to members of the association for electing her to lead the Bar, describing her victory as a collective mandate to build a stronger, more inclusive and responsive NBA.
In a statement issued after the announcement of the election results, Badejo-Okusanya said she was deeply humbled by the confidence reposed in her by members and thanked lawyers across the country for embracing her campaign vision of “A Bolder Bar That Works for Everyone.”
Reflecting on her nationwide campaign, she noted that her engagements with lawyers across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory provided invaluable insights into the challenges, expectations and aspirations of members. According to her, those interactions will serve as the foundation of her administration’s policies and programmes.
She also extended appreciation to every lawyer who participated in the election, regardless of the candidate they supported, stressing that the contest had ended and that the association must now unite behind a common purpose of advancing the legal profession, promoting justice and strengthening the rule of law.
The president-elect congratulated her fellow contestants for contributing to what she described as a vibrant democratic process and expressed her readiness to work with them in pursuing the shared goals of the association.
Badejo-Okusanya further acknowledged the dedication of members of the BBOLD Campaign Council, volunteers, coordinators and supporters who worked tirelessly throughout the campaign. She also expressed gratitude to her family, mentors and friends for their unwavering encouragement, reserving special appreciation for her husband for his steadfast support.
Looking ahead, she pledged to lead the association with integrity, courage, humility, fairness and accountability, promising to be “a President for every member” of the NBA.
She said her administration would prioritise initiatives that would enable lawyers to “earn better, live better and practise better,” adding that with the election concluded, “the work begins now.”
Badejo-Okusanya emerged as the NBA’s next president after securing the highest number of votes in the association’s electronic election, which officially concluded on Sunday morning. The 24-hour voting exercise ran from 7:35 a.m. on Saturday to 7:34 a.m. on Sunday.
The only female among the three presidential candidates, she polled 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the 26,106 valid ballots cast, to defeat her two challengers.
With her victory, Badejo-Okusanya will become the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association and only the second woman to lead the association since its establishment in 1933.
In the race for General Secretary, Afam Okeke emerged victorious after polling 8,478 votes to defeat his opponents.
The newly elected national officers will serve a two-year tenure from 2026 to 2028.
