20.7.2026
A group of lawyers under the aegis of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, ALDRAP, have filled a suit at the Federal High Court Abuja, challenging the election of Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya SAN as Nigeria Bar Association president.
Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya on Sunday polled 12, 317 votes. She is slated to be sworn in on August 21, 2026, when she will take over from the outgoing President, Afam Osigwe, SAN.
However, some members of the NBA had alleged that there were cases of irregularities, which marred the election that was electronically conducted.
The suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1471/2026 filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners, is urging the court to prevent the swear-in of Badejo-Okusanya the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, and the NBA are respondents.
In the initial originating summons, the plaintiff, ALDRAP, had asked the Abuja Federal High Court to stop the AGF from interfering in the NBA election, and also order that the AGF and the NBA cannot interfere in the conferment of the Blue Silks rank of Senior Counsel of Nigeria, which it introduced as an alternative to the SAN title for non-litigation lawyers in Nigeria. ALDRAP had also asked the court to appoint the Nigerian Law Society, NLS, and the Law Society of Lesotho, to act as independent observers during the NBA election.
In the additional reliefs filed on July 20, 2026, the plaintiff asked the court to join newly elected NBA President Badejo-Okusanya and some other persons and entities as necessary parties/respondents in the suit.
Others the plaintiff seeks to join in the suit are Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN, Amnesty International (Nigeria office or it’s representative), YIAGA and the Transition Monitoring Group, TMG,
The court was, in the same vein, asked to order the maintenance of status quo in the leadership of the NBA pending the final determination of the suit.
According to ALDRAP administrative secretary Jesse Williams Amuga, Esq, said: “Twenty-four hours after the alleged NBA elections, not a single international or domestic election observer has released any report to corroborate their observations of the e-voting infrastructure that both the NBA President and the ECNBA alleged that they deployed…Amnesty, YIAGA and TMG are afraid of soiling their respective reputations. If no independent observers are commenting on the alleged NBA elections, that speaks volumes.” With Channels TV report