The newly inaugurated president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya,has officially commenced her two-year tenure, taking charge of the association’s affairs after receiving the baton from her predecessor, Afam Osigwe, SAN.
Badejo-Okusanya, who is the 33rd president of the NBA, began her first day in office with a tour of the association’s national secretariat, NBA House, in Abuja, accompanied by Osigwe, who served as the association’s 32nd president.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the new NBA president recounted her first official day, describing the handover as a significant moment in the transition of leadership.
She said Osigwe personally guided her around the national secretariat and introduced her to members of staff before the formal farewell that marked the end of his tenure.
“Together with my predecessor, Afam Osigwe, SAN, the 32nd President of the NBA, I toured NBA House, where he took me through the National Secretariat and introduced me to members of staff,” she said.
According to her, the moment brought home the reality that responsibility for leading the association had officially shifted to her administration.
After the tour, Badejo-Okusanya returned to her office, where she and members of her team began the new administration with prayers before settling into official duties.
She also held an engagement with staff of the NBA National Secretariat as she commenced efforts to translate her administration’s vision for the association into action.
Reflecting on the transition, Badejo-Okusanya said the experience reinforced her conviction that effective leadership was measured by the actions taken after responsibility had been entrusted to an individual.
“Leadership is not the moment you receive the baton. It is what you do with it after you receive it,” she said.
Badejo-Okusanya was elected president in the NBA’s 2026 national officers’ election, defeating two other senior lawyers, Lateef Akangbe, SAN, and Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN.
She secured 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the total ballots cast. Akangbe polled 7,934 votes, while Akinboro received 5,855 votes.
The electronic election was disrupted by technical difficulties and a cyberattack, forcing the electoral committee to reconstruct its information and communications technology infrastructure before completing the process.
The final results were announced on July 19, 2026, at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja.
Her election was historic, making her only the second woman to head the NBA after Priscilla Kuye, who served as president between 1991 and 1992. She is, however, the first woman to be elected directly to the presidency by members of the association.
She formally succeeded Osigwe following her inauguration as the 33rd president of the NBA in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
During her inauguration, Badejo-Okusanya pledged to represent every member of the association regardless of how they voted in the election.
She also identified the economic welfare of lawyers, especially vulnerable practitioners, as a major priority of her administration.
Another key area of focus is reform of the NBA’s electoral system. As part of that agenda, she announced the creation of an election reform committee headed by Babatunde Ajibade, SAN, to examine the association’s electoral process and propose measures to strengthen it.
The new NBA president also cautioned members of the legal profession against using social media to publish abusive or derogatory comments directed at colleagues.
She warned that lawyers whose online conduct damages the reputation of the association could face public disciplinary proceedings.
