Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has taken an early lead in the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) presidential election.
Early results released as of 11:33 a.m. on Saturday showed that Badejo-Okusanya had polled 4,860 votes, representing 41.77 per cent of the ballots counted.
Her closest challenger, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe (SAN), secured 3,851 votes representing 33.10 per cent, while Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN) garnered 2,924 votes, representing 25.13 per cent.
Although the final results were yet to be announced at the time of filing this report, the 11,600 votes counted so far indicated that the election was tilting in Badejo-Okusanya’s favour.
The development comes barely 24 hours after NBA President, Afam Osigwe (SAN), dismissed allegations that he was attempting to manipulate or interfere in the association’s national officers’ election.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, Osigwe maintained that the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) operates independently and does not take directives from him.
He also denied backing any preferred candidate, describing the allegations as politically motivated and lacking evidence.
His remarks followed weeks of controversy surrounding the July 18 NBA election, with some presidential candidates and stakeholders questioning the credibility of the process, calling for the election to be postponed, demanding mandatory National Identification Number (NIN) verification for voters, and accusing the NBA leadership of attempting to influence the outcome.
The association has consistently denied the allegations, insisting that only the ECNBA is constitutionally empowered to conduct the election.
Osigwe also maintained that claims that NBA elections have always been manipulated have never been proven in court and dismissed suggestions that his personal voting preference could influence the outcome of the poll.
