The NBA Elections 2026 have moved closer to completion after the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) cleared 35 candidates to contest various national positions ahead of the July 20 poll, despite legal disputes and internal disagreements that had threatened the electoral process.
The Electoral Committee released the names, manifestoes, curriculum vitae and approved campaign materials of all qualified candidates on June 18 after the submission deadline closed on June 6.
The development signals growing confidence that the NBA Elections 2026 will proceed as scheduled, even as court cases and disagreements over zoning arrangements continue to generate debate within the legal community. Under Section 10(1) of the NBA Constitution 2015, as amended in 2025, the ECNBA serves as the independent body responsible for conducting elections into national offices of the association and selecting representatives to the General Council of the Bar.
According to information released by the ECNBA, a total of 35 candidates were approved to contest various positions. Three Senior Advocates of Nigeria were cleared to contest the presidency. They are Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, of the Abuja Branch, called to the Bar in 1991; Oyinkansola Badejo-Okunsanya, SAN, of the Lagos Branch, called in 2002; and Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN, of the Lagos Branch, called in 2003.
Badejo-Okunsanya remains the only female presidential candidate in recent NBA elections. The presidential position for the NBA Elections 2026 is zoned to the Western region, comprising Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo and Delta states.
The ECNBA also cleared candidates for several other offices, including First Vice President, Third Vice President, General Secretary, Assistant General Secretary, Welfare Secretary, Assistant Publicity Secretary, Treasurer and Publicity Secretary. Elections for representatives to the General Council of the Bar will also be held across the Eastern, Western and Northern zones.
The NBA Elections 2026 process has faced legal obstacles arising from disagreements over a reported consensus arrangement within the Western Zone.
The Incorporated Trustees of Egbe Amofin O’odua, an association of Yoruba lawyers, filed legal action seeking recognition of Akinboro as the sole presidential candidate following his emergence as its consensus choice. In February, the Oyo State High Court issued interim orders that temporarily affected aspects of the election process.
Another suit filed by aggrieved lawyers also sought to restrain the NBA leadership and ECNBA from taking further steps toward the election pending the determination of the case. Despite these challenges, the ECNBA continued preparations and maintained engagement with candidates and members.
In its 2026 National Elections Magazine, the electoral committee reiterated its commitment to delivering a transparent, credible and fair election. A review of candidates’ manifestoes shows that lawyers’ welfare, professional development and institutional reforms dominate campaign promises across most positions.
With more than 140,000 lawyers spread across 128 active branches nationwide, the NBA Elections 2026 will determine the leadership of Africa’s largest bar association for the next two years. As campaigns intensify and legal challenges continue to unfold, attention remains focused on the July 20 election that will shape the future direction of the Nigerian Bar Association through 2028.
