Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has been elected as the first female president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), securing a landmark victory in the association’s 2026 national elections.
Mrs Badejo-Okusanya polled 12,317 votes to emerge winner of the keenly contested election, making history as the first woman to lead Nigeria’s largest body of legal practitioners since its establishment.
Her election is being hailed as a defining moment for the legal profession, breaking a longstanding gender barrier and ushering in a new era for the association.
A highly respected legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Badejo-Okusanya is expected to champion reforms aimed at strengthening the legal profession, promoting judicial independence, advancing the rule of law and improving the welfare of lawyers across the country.
Legal practitioners and stakeholders have congratulated the president-elect, describing her victory as a reflection of growing confidence in her leadership, competence and vision for the future of the Bar.
The Nigerian Bar Association remains one of Nigeria’s most influential professional organisations, playing a pivotal role in defending constitutional democracy, protecting human rights and advocating reforms within the justice sector.
Mrs Badejo-Okusanya will assume office in line with the NBA’s transition timetable, becoming the first woman to occupy the association’s highest office in its history.
