Campaigns Intensify as Three Senior Advocates Battle for Leadership of Nigerian Bar Association
No fewer than 82,213 lawyers have been cleared to vote in the forthcoming Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) presidential election scheduled for July 18, 2026, setting the stage for one of the association’s most closely watched leadership contests in recent years.
According to information circulated to NBA members, the eligible voters are drawn from 139 NBA branches across the country, reflecting broad participation in the process to elect a new national executive that will oversee the affairs of the association for the next two years.
The Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) also disclosed that 671 legal practitioners who paid their practising fees before the stipulated deadline are currently listed without any branch affiliation.
The committee said the publication of the figures forms part of measures aimed at ensuring transparency ahead of the election, adding that efforts are ongoing to reconcile the records of the affected lawyers before voting begins.
Lawyers whose names appear on the unassigned list have been advised to urgently verify their branch membership with their respective NBA branches to avoid being disenfranchised during the election.
The large number of eligible voters highlights growing interest in the NBA’s electoral process, with many legal practitioners describing the election as crucial to the future direction of the legal profession in Nigeria.
Campaign activities have intensified across the association’s 139 branches, with candidates focusing on key issues including judicial independence, improved welfare for young lawyers, strengthening the rule of law and institutional reforms within the NBA.
The race has entered its final phase following the conclusion of national manifesto presentations and candidates’ debates, which gave members the opportunity to evaluate the vision, policies and leadership credentials of the aspirants.
Three Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) are contesting for the association’s highest office. They are Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN; Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN, FCIArb; and Oyinkansola Badejo-Okunsanya, SAN.
The candidates have pledged to restore confidence in the association, improve members’ welfare and strengthen the NBA’s role in promoting justice, the rule of law and democratic governance.
With the July 18 election fast approaching, attention is now focused on the ECNBA to conduct a credible, transparent and seamless electoral process that reflects the will of members of the Nigerian Bar Association.
IBN News will continue to monitor developments and provide updates on the NBA presidential election.
