Badejo-Okusanya elected NBA president
Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, has won the Nigerian Bar Association presidential election, becoming the first female in almost 4 decades to hold the office.
Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has been elected President of the Nigerian Bar Association. She polled 12,317 votes, defeating Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN (7,934 votes) and Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN (5,855 votes). The election was conducted through electronic voting over 24 hours, from Saturday morning to Sunday morning. Badejo-Okusanya is the only female among the three presidential candidates, and her victory marks a historic moment for the association.
In her victory statement, she described the win as a collective achievement for lawyers who believed in her vision of “A BBOLD Bar That Works for Everyone”. “The campaign is over. The work begins now,” she said. “I pledge to serve every member of the Nigerian Bar Association with integrity, humility, courage, and accountability.” She promised to focus on improving the welfare and professional development of lawyers, adding: “Together, we will build an NBA where lawyers can earn better, live better, and practise better.”
Badejo-Okusanya was called to the Bar in 2002 after earning an LL.B. from the University of Lagos. She began her career at Olaniwun Ajayi LP, building a practice in commercial litigation and dispute resolution. She was elevated to Senior Advocate of Nigeria on 29 September 2025. In 2007, she was appointed Senior Special Assistant on Justice Sector Reform to then-Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State.
Her election is a milestone for the NBA, which has been dominated by male presidents since its founding in 1933. The first and only female NBA president was Dame Priscilla Kuye, who led the association from 1991 to 1992. Badejo-Okusanya’s victory signals a shift towards a more inclusive bar. But the real test will be whether she can deliver on her promises of better welfare and professional development for lawyers. The bar is watching.
Winners: Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, women in the legal profession, the Nigerian Bar Association.
Losers: Her rivals, the old guard of the NBA (who may resist change).
Bottom Line: Badejo-Okusanya’s election is historic, but history is not enough — she must now deliver a bar that works for everyone, not just those who voted for her.