Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The newly inaugurated President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, has officially commenced her two-year tenure with a tour of the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja and an interactive session with staff.
Badejo-Okusanya, who became the 33rd President of the NBA and the second woman to lead the association, began her first day in office alongside her predecessor, Afam Osigwe, SAN, the 32nd NBA President.
She said Osigwe took her through NBA House, introduced her to members of staff and formally handed over the responsibilities of the office. “Together with my predecessor, Afam Osigwe, SAN, the 32nd President of the NBA, I toured NBA House, where he took me through the National Secretariat and introduced me to members of staff.”
“Then came the farewell and the quiet realisation that the baton had truly changed hands,” she added.
After the handover activities, Badejo-Okusanya returned to her office and began the administration’s work with prayer before holding an interactive meeting with National Secretariat staff.
“I returned to the office, and we began with prayer. Then, we got to work,” she said, adding that the meeting provided an opportunity to engage staff as her administration began implementing its plans for the association.
Reflecting on the transition, the NBA president said assuming office reinforced her view that leadership is measured by actions and responsibilities after taking over. “My first day in office reminded me of something I have always believed: ‘Leadership is not the moment you receive the baton. It is what you do with it after you receive it.’”
Badejo-Okusanya emerged from the 2026 NBA national officers’ election with 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the total votes cast. Lateef Akangbe, SAN, polled 7,934 votes, while Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, received 5,855 votes.
The electronic election, which was initially disrupted by technical difficulties and a cyberattack, required the electoral committee to rebuild its information and communications technology system before the process was completed. The final results were announced on July 19, 2026, at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja.
Her election made her the second woman to serve as NBA President after Priscilla Kuye, who led the association from 1991 to 1992, and the first woman directly elected to the position by members of the Nigerian Bar Association.
Following her inauguration in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Badejo-Okusanya pledged to lead the entire association irrespective of how members voted in the election. She also identified lawyers’ economic wellbeing, particularly the needs of vulnerable members of the profession, as a priority of her administration.
She has further initiated steps towards reforming the NBA electoral system, including the establishment of an election reform committee chaired by Babatunde Ajibade, SAN. The committee is expected to review the association’s electoral process and make recommendations for improvement.
The new NBA president also warned lawyers against abusive and insulting social media posts targeting colleagues, noting that such conduct could lead to public proceedings for bringing the association into disrepute. Her assumption of office now marks the beginning of the administration’s work to implement its agenda for the NBA and the wider Nigerian legal profession.
