NBA Election: Badejo-Okusanya extends lead as turnout crosses 21,000

Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has solidified her lead in the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) presidential election. As of Saturday evening, she secured 9,930 votes, accounting for 45.82% of the ballots counted. Her closest rival, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, also a SAN, trails with 6,708 votes (30.99%), followed by Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, with 5,021 votes (23.21%).

The election process, which began with a significant delay, was disrupted by a cyberattack targeting the NBA's electronic voting platform. The Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) announced an indefinite postponement of voting, initially scheduled for midnight Saturday. The committee cited a "deliberate, coordinated and sustained cyberattack" aimed at compromising the election's integrity.

Despite the technical challenges, the ECNBA assured members that no votes were compromised during the disruption. Voting commenced only after emergency security protocols were activated and the platform was secured. The cyberattack heightened anxiety among lawyers, adding to existing concerns about voter verification and the overall transparency of the electronic voting system. The ECNBA confirmed that candidates, agents, and observers continued to monitor the process from the designated election center.

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deliberate, coordinated and sustained cyberattack