Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has taken an early lead in the presidential election of the Nigerian Bar Association.

Live results showed her polling 9,323 votes, representing 45.43 per cent of the votes cast. Lateef Akangbe, SAN, came second with 6,385 votes, while Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, had 4,812 votes.

If Badejo-Okusanya wins the race, she would become the second female president in the history of the NBA. The election has been marred by controversies, including litigation, calls for postponement, and disagreements over the choice of a consensus candidate.

The poll was also alleged to have suffered technical glitches that delayed voting for several hours.

The election was zoned to the western region, prompting the intervention of Egbe Amofin O’odua, which adopted Akinboro as its consensus candidate. Despite the disputes, the association proceeded with the election with three candidates on the ballot. One candidate, Lateef Akangbe, wrote an emergency protest to the Electoral Committee, demanding the suspension of the election due to alleged failures in the electronic voting portal.

The NBA presidency election has attracted significant attention from lawyers across the country. The results are still being updated, and the final outcome is yet to be declared. The association is expected to announce the winner after the conclusion of the voting process and verification of results.

The controversy surrounding the election has raised questions about the credibility of the process and the need for transparency in professional body elections. Many lawyers are calling for calm and a fair resolution of the disputes.

The NBA election is seen as an important event that could shape the direction of the legal profession in Nigeria.

Photo credit: Punch Newspaper