Daud Olatunji
President-elect of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN), has vowed to resign if credible evidence emerges that the 2026 NBA presidential election was manipulated in her favour.
Badejo-Okusanya made the declaration during an interview on TVC News on Thursday while responding to allegations by some contestants and members of the legal profession that the election was rigged.
She insisted that the electronic voting process was transparent and subjected to unprecedented scrutiny, adding that no evidence of malpractice had been established.
According to her, the election recorded a consistent voting pattern from the beginning to the end, with no unusual spike in votes that could suggest manipulation.
“The process that they say they cannot trust has come under the greatest scrutiny that any of our elections have witnessed since we adopted universal suffrage and electronic voting,” she said.
She explained that the electronic voting platform refreshed results every 10 seconds, making it difficult for anyone to manipulate the process unnoticed.
“There was no evidence of vote dumping. This election was the most closely monitored. We have a system that refreshes every 10 seconds,” Badejo-Okusanya added.
The senior advocate said she had no interest in leading the association under a cloud of controversy, stressing that she would relinquish the office immediately if any credible proof of electoral fraud surfaced.
“I told my co-contestants publicly that if there was any indication or allegation that the process that brought me to office was flawed, I would not even discuss it with anyone before resigning. That remains my position,” she said.
Reacting to claims that she enjoyed the backing of the outgoing NBA President, Afam Osigwe (SAN), Badejo-Okusanya dismissed the allegation, saying Osigwe never informed her that he preferred her candidacy.
She also rejected insinuations that her family relationship with the Federal Government would compromise the independence of the NBA.
“How can I be the candidate of the Tinubu administration when the Tinubu administration is not a member of the NBA?” she asked.
The incoming NBA president said her administration would focus on strengthening the association’s relevance to legal practitioners while defending justice, the rule of law and the rights of vulnerable Nigerians.
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