NBA Upholds Own Constitution, Releases Voters’ List in Just Concluded Bar Election

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), yesterday, released the list of eligible members, who voted in the just concluded election of the. elitist association, as sorted by respective branches and mandated by its own constitution.

In a memo dated July 19, 2026, addressed to “all candidates, eligible voters, agents, observers and branch chairmen” signed by the Chairman and the Secretary of the electoral body, Aham Ejelam, SAN, and Ibrahim Aliyu Nasarawa, the ECNBA said it was upholding its own contitution.

The memo read in part: “Distinguished colleagues, pursuant to the provisions of Part V of the Constitution of the Nigerian Bar Association, which mandates the Electoral Committee, within twelve (12) hours after the close of voting, to publish the list of voters from each of the branches and transmit same by email to all candidates at the election, the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) hereby publishes the list of members who successfully voted in the 2026 NBA National Elections, sorted by branch.

“This list contains the names of members who exercised their franchise in the election, arranged by branch.

“Certain personal details have been redacted in compliance with applicable data privacy laws and the Committee’s obligations to protect voter confidentiality. This publication is made in fulfilment of the Committee’s constitutional obligations.”

The document, according to the ECNBA, contained Names of members who successfully cast their votes in the 2026 NBA National Elections, arranged alphabetically by branch.

It also contained branch affiliation of each voter, noting that certain personal details have been redacted in compliance with applicable data privacy laws.

In the document, too, is the total number of voters per branch and the overall national total of members who participated in the election.

The publication, the ECNBA stated, was made in strict fulfilment of the Committee’s constitutional obligation under Part V of the NBA Constitution and was transmitted to all candidates at the election.

 “Part V of the NBA Constitution expressly mandates that the Electoral Committee shall, within twelve (12) hours after the close of voting, publish the list of voters from each of the branches and shall also transmit same by email to all candidates at the election.

“This publication is made in direct compliance with that constitutional provision. The ECNBA reaffirms its commitment to transparency, openness, and accountability in the administration of this election,” it stated.

The NBA, had weekend elected Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, as its first female president.

Although a notable female legal practitioner, Dame Priscilla Olabori Kuye, had once served as the first female president of the NBA between 1991 and 1992.

Kuye, who was elected NBA First Vice President, assumed the office of President, after the then President Clement Akpamgbo was appointed Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) during the administration of then Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida.

Kuye, a life member of the Body of Benchers (BoB) and a former chairman, Human Rights Committee of the NBA, had been pushing for the election of a female president of the NBA.

Badejo-Okusanya was however elected at the Bar’s 2026 election as the 33rd president of the umbrella body for lawyers in the country.

Her victory at the poll, which held between July 18 and 19, 2026, made her the first woman to be elected into that position and second to occupy the office.

Nevertheless, Badejo-Okusanya’s emergence came with its own dust as the election intensely contested.