By Joy Yesufu
Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, has been sworn in as the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), succeeding Afam Osigwe, SAN, whose tenure has expired.
Badejo-Okusanya assumed office on Friday at a ceremony held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where Osigwe administered the oath of office on her.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, was elected the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association after defeating two other senior lawyers in the association’s July 29, 2026 national officers’ election
The swearing-in marked the formal transfer of leadership of the NBA to Badejo-Okusanya, who becomes the latest president of the umbrella body for legal practitioners in Nigeria.
As part of the transition, Osigwe formally handed over to his successor and presented her with a handover note outlining matters relating to the administration of the association.
Addressing Badejo-Okusanya during the ceremony, Osigwe said, “This is your handover note. A more comprehensive one will be given to you later. I hereby bow out.”
Badejo-Okusanya succeeds Osigwe following the completion of his tenure as NBA President.
She has been actively involved in the association for more than two decades, having attended her first NBA Annual General Conference in 2002, shortly after she was called to the Nigerian Bar.
The new NBA vows to go after lawyers culpable of making denigrating posts against other lawyers reading that such unacceptable conducts are inimical to the reputation of the profession.
“Such lawyers will be subjected to public proceedings for bringing us all into disrepute in the eyes of the public, who look up to us and are increasingly aghast, as all right-thinking colleagues are, at the type of language that lawyers employ on social media against other colleagues, all in the name of politics. So, we’re coming after you.”
The new NBA leader also promised to defend the independence of the judiciary in the country.
She condemned delays conflicting court judgments, corruptions and other act that are injurious to the system and erodes the people’s confidence in the judiciary.
She stressed that the respect for the judiciary cannot interpreted to mean ignoring or remaining silent about wrong acts in the system.
She said: “We will support the Bench while insisting on the integrity and efficiency of the justice system.
“We will defend judicial independence, but we will not be indifferent to delay, conflicting decisions, corruption, or conduct that diminishes public confidence. Respect for institutions does not require silence about their shortcomings. True respect requires the courage to help them.”
She said the NBA’s under her leadership loyalty would be firmly loyal the Constitution, justice, the rule of law and its members.
