Court Asked to Halt Swearing‑In of NBA President‑Elect Badejo‑Okusanya Amid Election Controversy

The controversy surrounding the recently concluded Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) national election has escalated, as a group of lawyers has approached the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking to restrain the swearing‑in of the President‑elect, Oyinkansola Badejo‑Okusanya, SAN, and other newly elected national officers.

Badejo‑Okusanya, who polled 12,317 votes to defeat fellow contestants Lateef Akangbe, SAN, and Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, is scheduled to assume office on 21 August 2026, succeeding the outgoing President, Afam Osigwe, SAN. Allegations of irregularities, particularly relating to the electronic voting process, have trailed the exercise.

The suit, numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/1471/2026, was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP) against the Attorney‑General of the Federation (AGF) and the NBA. In its originating summons, ALDRAP sought to restrain the AGF from interfering in the NBA election and from influencing 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. It also requested that the Nigerian Law Society (NLS) and the Law Society of Lesotho act as independent observers during the election.

By way of additional reliefs filed on 20 July 2026, ALDRAP asked the court to join the President‑elect, Badejo‑Okusanya, alongside Akinboro, SAN, Akangbe, SAN, Amnesty International (Nigeria), YIAGA, and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) as necessary parties. Specifically, the plaintiff prayed for an interim/perpetual injunction restraining the NBA and its agents from swearing in Badejo‑Okusanya or any other person into national office pending determination of the suit and an order of status quo to preserve the current NBA leadership until final judgment.

ALDRAP argued that the validity and constitutionality of the 2026 NBA election remain in dispute, citing voter disenfranchisement, technical failures of the e‑voting platform, non‑compliance with the NEC‑approved timetable, and the applicability of Section 134(2) of the 1999 Constitution. It maintained that the joinder of additional parties is necessary for the proper resolution of the issues.

Administrative Secretary of ALDRAP, Jesse Williams Amuga, Esq, expressed concern over the conduct of the election, noting that none of the accredited observers have issued reports on the process. He stated: “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… 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.”

… Court Asked to Halt Swearing‑In of NBA President‑Elect Badejo‑Okusanya Amid Election Controversy … Naijaonpoint.