NBA election: I’ll resign if I was rigged in, says Badejo-Okusanya

Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, the President-elect of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has pledged to resign if credible evidence surfaces proving that the election which declared her the next president was rigged. Badejo-Okusanya made this commitment during a TVC News interview, addressing allegations of manipulation from some contestants and lawyers.

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The process that they say they cannot trust, my opponents are saying that it was rigged in my favour and thankfully, this electoral process has come under the greatest scrutiny that any of our elections have come under since we started universal suffrage and electronic voting.

She asserted that the electronic voting system used for the election was subjected to unprecedented scrutiny and exhibited no indications of manipulation. Badejo-Okusanya highlighted that her lead in the election was consistent from the beginning, with the gap widening organically. She noted the absence of vote dumping or sudden surges that typically signal rigging, emphasizing that the process was closely monitored by many.

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From the time that I led, I led the election throughout consistently. There was never a time that I dropped down. There was never a time that any of my opponents passed me. I led consistently and the gap kept widening.

Drawing a contrast with former President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, who acknowledged flaws in his election, Badejo-Okusanya stated her unwillingness to hold office if the process was compromised. She reiterated her public promise to resign immediately if any questions arose about the integrity of the election that brought her to power.

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I told my co-contestants in public that if there was any indication or allegation that the process that brought me to power was flawed, I wouldn’t even discuss it with anyone before I resigned. That still remains my goal.

Badejo-Okusanya also addressed claims of receiving support from the outgoing NBA President, Afam Osigwe. She stated that Osigwe never explicitly informed her that she was his preferred candidate. Furthermore, she dismissed suggestions that her family connections to the Federal Government would compromise the NBA's independence, questioning how the Tinubu administration, not being an NBA member, could influence her candidacy.

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How can I be the candidate of the Tinubu administration when the Tinubu administration is not a member of the NBA?