Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has assumed office as the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), becoming the first woman to be directly elected to lead the association.
Badejo-Okusanya was sworn in on Friday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at a ceremony attended by senior members of the Bar and Bench and other dignitaries.
Her predecessor, Afam Osigwe, SAN, administered the oath of office and formally handed over the association’s leadership to her.
“This is your handover note. A more comprehensive one will be given to you later. I am hereby now out,” Osigwe said as he formally ended his tenure.
Badejo-Okusanya emerged as the NBA president after winning the association’s 2026 national election on July 19.
She polled 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the votes cast, to defeat Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN, who scored 7,934 votes, and Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, who polled 5,855 votes. She will serve a two-year term covering 2026 to 2028.
Her election marked a historic moment for the NBA. She became the second woman to lead the association after Priscilla Kuye, who served as president from 1991 to 1992. However, unlike Kuye, who assumed the presidency after her predecessor became Attorney-General of the Federation, Badejo-Okusanya became the first woman to win the presidency through a direct election by NBA members.
In her inaugural address, the new NBA President said her administration would be guided by the principle of “members first, always”.
She said her ambition was not simply to make history but to improve the legal profession.
“I did not seek this office simply to make history. I sought it to make a difference,” she said. “This mandate is not a prize to be possessed but a trust to be discharged.”
Badejo-Okusanya called for unity within the association, saying she would serve lawyers regardless of how they voted during the election.
“I will be President not only of those who voted for me but of every member of the Nigerian Bar Association. The Bar remains my constituency,” she said. “There are no victims and no vanquished in the NBA. There is only one Bar, one profession, and one shared responsibility to leave the Bar stronger than we met it.”
Her emphasis on unity comes after an election that was marred by technical difficulties, allegations of voter disenfranchisement and protests from some lawyers over the credibility of the electronic voting process. The voting platform reportedly experienced glitches and was targeted by a cyberattack, delaying the election.
The NBA President also placed the welfare of lawyers, particularly young practitioners, at the centre of her administration.
She said the association would pursue a framework for fair remuneration and engage the Attorney-General of the Federation on compliance with the Legal Practitioners Remuneration Order.
“The NBA must take responsibility for pushing the message that the Remuneration Order must be complied with. Our members deserve fair compensation for their work,” she said.
Badejo-Okusanya also announced plans to provide members with highly subsidized access to electronic law reports and revive the NBA affinity card, which she said would offer discounts on services including airlines, hotels, supermarkets, and pharmacies.
She pledged to modernise the NBA national secretariat and deploy technology to make membership processes more efficient.
“Technology must simplify membership, not frustrate it,” she said.
The new NBA president further promised to prepare lawyers for emerging areas of legal practice, including artificial intelligence, digital commerce, data protection, energy transition and cross-border legal services.
She said her election should encourage other women and lawyers whose abilities or ambitions may have been overlooked.
“By the grace of God, I will not be the last woman to occupy this office,” she said.
Badejo-Okusanya also paid tribute to Osigwe and previous NBA administrations for their contributions to the association.
She said the success of her administration would ultimately be measured by its impact on members and the profession.
“We will build a bolder Bar that helps lawyers earn better, live better, and practise better,” she said.
In her first message after winning the election, Badejo-Okusanya had also urged lawyers to close ranks following the contest, saying, “The election is over. We are one Bar, united by a common commitment to the advancement of our profession and the defence of justice and the rule of law.”
Her inauguration now formally begins a two-year administration expected to focus on lawyers’ welfare, professional development, technology and the strengthening of unity within the NBA.
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