The Nigerian Bar Association faces mounting tensions just 48 hours before its 2026 elections, with internal disputes threatening to derail the vote for new national leadership. The electoral process has been roiled by allegations of bias and a reported breach of a power-rotation agreement designed to ensure fairness across regions.
The association's constitution, amended in 2025, vests election authority in the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA). President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, initiated the leadership selection process that led the National Executive Council to approve a five-member ECNBA at its November 2025 meeting in Edo State.
Aham Ejelam, a Senior Advocate, chairs the election body, with Ibrahim Aliyu Nasarawa serving as secretary. Muhammad M.
Nuhu, Uju Okafor, and Ume Maduka round out the committee.
On June 18, the ECNBA released its approved candidate list: 35 contenders for various national positions. Three Senior Advocates qualified to run for the presidency, marking a competitive race for the top job.
The three presidential aspirants are Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, from the Abuja Branch (called to the Bar in 1991), Ms. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okunsanya, SAN, from Lagos (admitted in 2002), and Mr.
Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN, also from Lagos (2003). Badejo-Okunsanya stands out as the sole female candidate in recent electoral cycles.
For 2026, the presidency rotates to the Western Zone, which comprises Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, Edo, and Delta States. The association has also cleared two hopefuls for 1st Vice-President, one for 3rd Vice-President, and five lawyers to contest General Secretary.
Three candidates each will vie for Assistant General Secretary, Welfare Secretary, and Assistant Publicity Secretary roles. The Treasurer and Publicity Secretary positions have single candidates each.
Five lawyers qualified to contest General Council of the Bar seats representing the Eastern Zone, two for the Western Zone, and five for the Northern Zone. Voting will occur through electronic balloting, with eligibility limited to lawyers who've paid practising fees and branch dues.
The NBA adopted its power-rotation system to counter instability, regional domination, and marginalisation within the body. The zoning arrangement aimed to distribute leadership fairly and stabilise internal politics.
Trouble erupted when the Incorporated Trustees of Egbe Amofin O'odua took the NBA to court. The group alleged that a consensus deal on a Western Bar presidential candidate faced breach by the current national leadership.
The legal action signals deeper rifts within the profession over how leadership should be allocated. These disputes have intensified regional tensions just as voting preparations advance.