The closest rival to the President-Elect of the Nigerian Bar Association , Lateef Akangbe SAN has described the Association’s election as “shambolic”.
The ECNBA had earlier declared Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya SAN as the winner of the 2026 election of the legal body having polled 12,317 to defeat Akangbe who secured 7, 934 votes and Olumuyiwa Akinboro SAN who polled 5,855 votes .
Attacking the credibility of the election in a statement shared on his X handle shortly after the poll ended, also called the election “a shame to the Bar.”
While thanking lawyers across the country for participating in the exercise despite the challenges, he said thousands of lawyers stayed awake through the night in an effort to vote but were unable to do so because of repeated authentication failures, error messages and the collapse of the electronic voting platform.
Akangbe however questioned the ECNBA’s decision to move the election from 20 July to 18 July without the approval of the NBA National Executive Council.
He also stated that an agreement reached on 15 July to postpone the poll by one week to allow lawyers to become familiar with the newly introduced SMS authentication system was not honoured.
He argued that the voting platform collapsed shortly after voting commenced and said the ECNBA’s explanation that the disruption resulted from a cyberattack failed to explain what he described as poor preparation and inadequate capacity.
The senior lawyer also claimed that he was unable to cast his own vote despite repeated attempts.
According to him, efforts by the ECNBA chairperson and the NBA president to assist him with multiple voting links were unsuccessful.
Akangbe further argued that the approximately 27 per cent voter turnout reflected voter suppression rather than voter apathy, saying thousands of willing lawyers were locked out of the platform because of technical failures.
He repeated earlier allegations that the ECNBA breached its revised electronic voting guidelines by sending one-time passwords (OTPs) through email instead of SMS, contrary to assurances given to members less than 24 hours before the election.
He also maintained that the electronic ballot initially displayed only Mrs Badejo-Okusanya’s photograph, while the photographs of the other two presidential candidates, including his, were either omitted or failed to render until after concerns had been raised.
Akangbe also alleged that there were credible reports of multiple voting on the platform, contrary to the principle of one member, one vote, and argued that the election could not pass any credibility test.
He said he was reviewing all available options with his team and would announce his next steps after completing that process.
Before voting ended, Akangbe had written to the ECNBA demanding the immediate suspension of the election.
He as well demanded preservation of all electronic voting records, an independent forensic audit of the voting platform and the postponement of the poll until the identified concerns were addressed.
Meanwhile , the newly elected President, Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, has pledged to lead the legal association with fairness and accountability.
Badejo-Okusanya made the promise on Sunday in her first speech following her emergence as NBA’s president.
She called on members of the legal profession to unite behind a common vision for the Bar.
She expressed her gratitude to lawyers across Nigeria for the confidence reposed in her, describing her victory as one that belongs to every member who believes the NBA can become stronger, more inclusive and more responsive to the needs of legal practitioners.
“I am truly humbled by the confidence that members of the Nigerian Bar Association have reposed in me by electing me to serve as your President,” she said.
Badejo-Okusanya thanked members who supported her campaign, stating that the election was driven by a shared desire to build an association that serves all lawyers.
The senior lawyer disclosed that her campaign took her across the country, where she interacted with lawyers in every state and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
She added that those engagements gave her a better understanding of the expectations, concerns and aspirations of members, which would now shape her administration.
According to the newly elected NBA president, she reached out to lawyers who voted for her opponents, stressing that the contest had ended and that the association must now move forward as one united body committed to promoting justice, the rule of law and the legal profession.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to every member who participated in this election, regardless of the candidate you supported. The election is over. We are one Bar, united by a common commitment to the advancement of our profession and the defence of justice and the rule of law,” she said.