Lawyers seek court order to block swearing-in of new NBA President
By Idun Maximus
A group of lawyers has asked the Abuja Federal High Court to block the inauguration of Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, as President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), amid allegations of irregularities in the association’s recent national election.
Badejo-Okusanya polled 12,317 votes to defeat fellow contestants Lateef Akangbe, SAN, and Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, in the election, which was conducted electronically.
She is scheduled to be sworn in on August 21, 2026, succeeding outgoing President Afam Osigwe, SAN.
The request came in additional reliefs filed July 20, 2026, in a pending suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1471/2026, brought by the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) against the Attorney-General of the Federation and the NBA.
ALDRAP had originally asked the court to bar the AGF from interfering in the NBA election and in the association’s conferment of its “Blue Silks” rank, a title it introduced as an alternative to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) designation for non-litigation lawyers.
The group also sought court-appointed independent observers from the Nigerian Law Society and the Law Society of Lesotho to monitor the poll.
In its latest filing, ALDRAP asked the court to join Badejo-Okusanya, Akinboro, Akangbe, Amnesty International’s Nigeria office, YIAGA, and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) as parties to the suit.
It is seeking an interim and perpetual injunction restraining the NBA and its officials from swearing in Badejo-Okusanya or any other newly elected national officer pending the outcome of the case, and has asked the court to order that the current leadership remain in place in the meantime.
ALDRAP argues the suit challenges the legality of the 2026 election process, citing voter disenfranchisement, technical failures of the e-voting platform, non-compliance with the NBA’s approved election timetable, and questions over the applicability of Section 134(2) of the 1999 Constitution.
It says the parties it seeks to join are necessary to resolving disputes over the election’s validity and the resulting leadership transition.
ALDRAP Administrative Secretary Jesse Williams Amuga said none of the election’s observers had publicly reported on what they witnessed, calling the silence troubling.
He said no domestic or international observer had corroborated the NBA’s claims about the e-voting system used, and suggested Amnesty International, YIAGA, and TMG were reluctant to comment for fear of damaging their reputations.
