By John Azu
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has insisted that its national officers’ election will proceed as scheduled on Saturday, despite recent legal challenges and calls for a postponement.
NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), announced the decision while addressing journalists on Friday, assuring members that the electronic election would be free, fair and transparent.
To further strengthen confidence in the process, Osigwe invited the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to independently monitor the election.
His comments come amid controversy surrounding the exercise, with the Egbe Amofin O’odua, through its Chairman, Isiaka Olagunju (SAN), calling for the postponement of the election and seeking a reversal of what it described as the association’s preference for a particular presidential candidate.
Osigwe, however, dismissed allegations that the electoral process had been manipulated in favour of any candidate, maintaining that the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) was constituted through a transparent process approved by the National Executive Council (NEC).
He also condemned attempts to derail the election through litigation and what he described as baseless allegations capable of damaging the image of the association.
The NBA had earlier zoned its 2026 presidential position to the Western Zone, comprising Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo and Delta states.
Following the zoning arrangement, the ECNBA cleared three candidates to contest the presidency: Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN) of the Abuja Branch, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okunsanya (SAN) of the Lagos Branch and Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe (SAN).
The election has, however, been dogged by litigation. Two separate suits—one filed by Egbe Amofin O’odua and another marked I/221/2026 by Ibrahim Lawal, Raymond Oki, Omotan Olusola Ogunmodede and Gabriel Ojo Adekunle Ijalana—challenged the conduct of the election. The suits resulted in interim orders restraining the election and directives involving the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
Those orders were subsequently vacated by the Court of Appeal, clearing the way for the election to proceed.
Expressing concern over the controversies surrounding the poll, Osigwe said efforts to undermine the process had begun long before the electoral committee was constituted.
“We don’t need to be in court, but the unfortunate thing was that even before the electoral committee was constituted, some persons went about saying the election will be rigged.
“All the previous elections that were challenged in court with such allegations were all dismissed, yet a lawyer will say that the NBA election will be rigged.
“It is not good practice in the legal profession for any person to state facts which he knows not to be true.
“Lawyers should be careful with the words they use. What people have done is to try to create a crisis where there is none.”
He said although the election was scheduled to commence at midnight on Saturday, there had been sustained pressure to postpone it.
“The election is supposed to take place from midnight, but some people kept pushing for postponement.
“We had to call an emergency NEC meeting because people kept calling my name as if I were the problem. So I felt the NEC should discuss the issues and decide. After the meeting, it was agreed that the election should go on as scheduled.”
Osigwe also disclosed that one of the association’s service providers was briefly arrested during preparations for the election but has since been released.
“Unfortunately, in the build-up to it, one of our service providers was arrested, but he has been released. We don’t know what may still happen next.
“We hope that there will be no further arrests or interference with the electoral process. We are committed to holding a free and fair election,” he said.
The NBA national election, to be conducted electronically, will produce a new national executive to steer the affairs of the association for the next administration.