Badejo-Okusanya assumes office, tours secretariat, holds prayer, meeting

The newly inaugurated President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, has formally assumed office, beginning her tenure with a tour of the association’s national secretariat and an interactive meeting with staff.

Badejo-Okusanya, who became the 33rd president of the NBA, shared details of her first day in office in a Tuesday statement reflecting on the transition from her predecessor, Afam Osigwe, SAN.

She said her first day began with a handover tour of NBA House alongside Osigwe, who served as the 32nd president of the association.

“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.

“Then came the farewell and the quiet realisation that the baton had truly changed hands,” she said.

After returning to her office, Badejo-Okusanya said she and her team began the administration with prayer before proceeding with official duties.

“I returned to the office, and we began with prayer. Then, we got to work,” she said.

She also held an interactive meeting with members of staff of the National Secretariat as her administration began the process of implementing its vision for the association.

Badejo-Okusanya said the experience of assuming office reinforced her belief that leadership was defined by what a person did after taking responsibility.

“My first day in office reminded me of something I have always believed:

“Leadership is not the moment you receive the baton. It is what you do with it after you receive it.”

Badejo-Okusanya emerged victorious in the 2026 NBA national officers’ election, defeating Lateef Akangbe, SAN, and Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN.

She polled 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the total votes cast, while Akangbe scored 7,934 votes and Akinboro received 5,855 votes.

The election, conducted electronically, was affected by technical challenges and a cyberattack which forced the electoral committee to rebuild its information and communications technology system before the process was concluded.

The results were announced on July 19, 2026, at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja.

Her victory made her the second woman to lead the association, after Priscilla Kuye, who served as NBA president from 1991 to 1992, and the first woman to be directly elected to the position by NBA members.

She succeeded Osigwe, who handed over to her following her inauguration as the 33rd president of the association in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

At her inauguration, Badejo-Okusanya pledged to lead all members of the association irrespective of their support during the election.

She also promised to prioritise the economic wellbeing of lawyers, particularly vulnerable members of the profession, while pursuing reforms in the association’s electoral system.

The new NBA president further announced the establishment of an election reform committee chaired by Babatunde Ajibade, SAN, to review the association’s electoral process and recommend improvements.

She also warned lawyers against abusive or insulting social media posts targeting colleagues, saying such conduct could attract public proceedings for bringing the association into disrepute.

Badejo-Okusanya’s assumption of office marks the beginning of her two-year tenure as president of the NBA, with the new administration expected to implement its agenda for the legal profession and the association.