NBA resisted attempts to interfere with its independence – Osigwe

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, SAN, said his administration resisted attempts to undermine the association’s independence and remained firm in defending constitutional democracy and the rule of law.

Osigwe made the declaration last Friday while presenting his final annual report at the just-concluded 2026 Annual General Meeting of the NBA in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

He said the administration, which assumed office in August 2024, confronted several institutional and professional challenges but succeeded in strengthening the NBA’s financial position, digital infrastructure, welfare schemes, professional regulation and legal education.

According to him, the administration also defended the independence of the judiciary, challenged executive excesses and protected lawyers subjected to harassment and unlawful arrest in the course of their professional duties.

Osigwe said one of the defining moments of his tenure was the NBA’s opposition to the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the suspension of democratically elected institutions.

He said the NBA maintained that political disagreements and legislative or executive conflicts did not provide sufficient constitutional grounds to suspend elected governments or displace democratic institutions.

“We made it abundantly clear that constitutional democracy cannot be preserved through executive fiat, and that disagreements within the political process must always be resolved through constitutionally recognised institutions and legal mechanisms rather than extraordinary executive intervention,” he said.

He said the NBA’s decision to relocate its 2025 Annual General Conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu was a demonstration of its commitment to constitutional principles.

Osigwe also highlighted the legal battle over the 2026 NBA elections, saying the association successfully challenged proceedings before the Oyo State High Court, which had sought to restrain the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association from conducting the elections.

He said the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division, on July 14, 2026, unanimously held that the Oyo State High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit and set aside the proceedings, including the interim order restraining the ECNBA from conducting the election.

He said the decision cleared the way for the election to proceed.

The former NBA president also disclosed that the association rejected a purported directive attributed to the Attorney-General of the Federation seeking to disband the ECNBA and postpone the election.

According to Osigwe, the directive sought, among other things, the replacement of the election service provider, the establishment of a caretaker committee to conduct the election, the introduction of National Identification Number verification into the voter database, and a review of the NBA Constitution to alter its universal suffrage system.

He said the NBA rejected the directive as unconstitutional and beyond the powers of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

“We insisted that only the NBA’s constitutionally recognised organs have the authority to determine the conduct or postponement of the exercise,” Osigwe said.

He added that the NBA was an independent body not under the control of the Attorney-General and that the Legal Practitioners Act limited the AGF’s powers to intervene in its affairs.

Osigwe said the Court of Appeal subsequently agreed with the NBA’s position on the AGF’s power to issue such a directive in the circumstances.

He further said the NBA invited domestic and international observers, including representatives of the European Union, the United States Embassy, the British High Commission, Yiaga Africa, and the Transition Monitoring Group, to observe the electronic voting process.

On the election, Osigwe said Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya emerged as the 33rd president of the NBA, polling 12,317 votes to defeat Lateef Akangbe, who secured 7,934 votes, while Olumuyiwa Akinboro polled 5,855 votes.

He said the election recorded 26,106 votes from 82,172 registered voters, representing a 31.86 per cent participation rate.

Osigwe said the election survived attempts to undermine the process, including a cyberattack which forced the ECNBA to rebuild and migrate its information and communication technology infrastructure to a more secure server.

“Our colleagues planned to truncate the election, but we stood firm. Every effort to derail this process failed,” he said.

Osigwe urged the incoming administration to be magnanimous in victory and called on those who lost the election to support the new leadership.

He also warned that the cyberattack demonstrated the need for stronger data protection within the association.

Osigwe listed the NBA’s digital transformation as one of the major achievements of his administration.

He said the association introduced the Digital Annual Practice Licence, digitised the issuance of Letters of Good Standing, established the NBA National Executive Council Digital Portal, launched the NBA Smart Identity Card, relaunched the NBA Digital Seal and established the NBA Digital Signature Studio.

According to him, the reforms reduced administrative bottlenecks, improved regulatory compliance and strengthened the verification of lawyers’ practising status.

He said the digital transformation was part of the administration’s effort to reposition the NBA as a modern, technology-driven professional body.

Osigwe also disclosed that the association invested N4.154bn in fixed-income instruments with reputable financial institutions during the period under review.

He said the investments generated sufficient income to pay staff salaries for 18 months without touching the principal.

He added that the association began implementing the 20 per cent Bar Practising Fee remittance to branches, in line with the NBA Constitution and its financial policies.

According to him, the 2025 NBA Annual General Conference generated and preserved more than N1bn in savings and surplus for the association despite prevailing economic challenges.

Osigwe said the administration also diversified the NBA’s revenue sources by leasing the two wings of its National Secretariat in Oro-Ago Crescent, Garki, Abuja, at an annual rental value of N20m per wing.

He added that the National Executive Council approved the commercial leasing of three vacant floors of NBA House on Muhammadu Buhari Way, Abuja. However, the process of securing tenants was still ongoing.

Osigwe said his administration also concluded the title perfection process for the association’s property at Plot 1415, Oro-Ago Crescent, Garki II, Abuja.

On welfare, Osigwe said his administration established a N500m Welfare and Life Assurance Fund, which had risen to more than N527m through investment.

He said more than N140m had been paid as death benefits to beneficiaries of deceased lawyers. At the same time, about N24.28m was approved and disbursed as medical assistance to members requiring urgent intervention.

The former NBA president also highlighted the establishment of the Kanu Agabi, SAN Young Lawyers Co-Working Space at the National Secretariat.

He said the administration vigorously enforced the Legal Practitioners’ Remuneration Order 2023, resulting in the recovery and generation of professional fees running into billions of naira for lawyers in several jurisdictions.

Osigwe said the administration also introduced the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Framework and established a structured accreditation system for providers of continuing legal education.

He said the NBA amended its Constitution during his tenure, with the reforms including the operationalisation of the remittance of 20 per cent of Bar Practising Fees to branches and regulation of campaign financing in NBA elections.

He also cited the 2026 NBA Legal Education Summit and the subsequent unveiling of the 2026 NBA Legal Education Standards as major interventions in legal education.

Osigwe said his administration established the NBA National Litigation Committee with operational structures across the six geopolitical zones to provide rapid institutional responses to threats against lawyers.

He said the committee intervened in cases involving the unlawful arrest, detention, harassment and assault of legal practitioners.

Osigwe cited cases involving Chinedu Agu, Bright Ngene and Lovinah Ugbana Benjamin as matters that received institutional attention during his tenure.

He said the NBA also consistently condemned police brutality, extra-judicial killings, unlawful detention, torture and other violations of fundamental rights.

The NBA president also highlighted the Supreme Court’s June 26, 2026 judgment in Ben Mene-Ejegi Esq. v. Nigerian Bar Association & Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, which invalidated the provision allowing direct appeals from the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee to the Supreme Court.

He said the NBA subsequently sought the intervention of the Attorney-General of the Federation in engaging the National Assembly to amend the relevant provision in the Legal Practitioners Amendment Bill.

Osigwe proposed that appeals from the LPDC should instead go to the Court of Appeal.

He said the NBA strengthened its international partnerships during the two-year tenure, including collaborations with United Nations agencies, UNICEF, the British High Commission, the United States Embassy and the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law.

Osigwe said the NBA secured a partnership with UNICEF valued at approximately N120m to support child protection, juvenile justice, legal aid, capacity building and access to justice programmes.

He said the partnership also provided opportunities for Nigerian lawyers to participate in international conferences, training programmes, research initiatives and professional exchanges.

Reflecting on his tenure, Osigwe said the administration had strengthened the institutional foundations of the NBA, although challenges remained for future leadership.

“I leave with the comforting assurance that together we have contributed our modest quota to the continuing story of this noble Association,” he said.

He urged the incoming administration to consolidate the reforms, prioritise members’ welfare, preserve prudent financial management, sustain the digital transformation agenda and continue defending the rule of law.

“The Nigerian Bar Association has always been greater than any individual, and its continued progress depends upon our collective willingness to place institutional interest above personal ambition,” Osigwe said.

He expressed appreciation to the National Officers, members of the National Executive Council, branch leaders, sections, fora, committees, the judiciary, the Body of Benchers, the Council of Legal Education, the Nigerian Law School, development partners, and NBA members for their support.

Osigwe, who became the 32nd NBA President in August 2024, said serving as president had been the greatest honour and privilege of his professional life.