NBA election: Female lawyer in early lead

Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, is nearing a historic victory in the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) presidential election. As vote counts progressed on Saturday, she widened her lead, positioning herself to become the association's first elected female president.

As of 9:00 PM, figures from the Electoral Committee of the NBA election portal showed Badejo-Okusanya securing 10,554 votes, representing 46.16 percent of the ballots counted. Her closest competitor, Lateef Akangbe, SAN, trailed with 7,020 votes, while Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, garnered 5,289 votes. The tally indicated that Badejo-Okusanya had established a lead of over 3,500 votes against Akangbe.

Earlier results released at 11:33 AM had also shown Badejo-Okusanya in the lead with 4,860 votes (41.77 percent), ahead of Akangbe's 3,851 votes (33.10 percent) and Akinboro's 2,924 votes (25.13 percent). The NBA, established in 1933, is the primary professional body for legal practitioners in Nigeria. Historically, its leadership has been exclusively male.

A win for Badejo-Okusanya would represent a significant milestone in the association's 91-year history, breaking a long-standing tradition of male leadership. The election process is ongoing, with members encouraged to continue voting.