The 2026 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) presidential election has descended into significant controversy, with candidates Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN) and Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe (SAN) formally rejecting the victory of Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN).
The election, which has been fraught with tension from the start, faced severe criticism due to a series of technical failures. Throughout the voting process, participants reported numerous issues, including a collapsed e-voting portal, authentication glitches, and significant delays or failures in the delivery of one-time passwords (OTPs). These logistical hurdles sparked widespread concern regarding the transparency, security, and overall integrity of the electronic voting process.
Even before the results were contested, the lead-up to the polls was marked by instability, including the arrest of the managing director of the election service provider, which nearly halted the exercise. While the ECNBA moved forward with the election on July 18, 2026, the subsequent rejection of the results by Akinboro and Akangbe has cast a shadow over what was intended to be a historic poll—one that would have seen the association elect only its second female president since its inception in 1933.
