NBA President-elect vows electoral reform amid rigging perceptions

Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, has been elected the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), pledging to undertake a comprehensive reform of the association's electoral system. Following her issuance of a Certificate of Return in Abuja, Badejo-Okusanya acknowledged the complaints surrounding her victory.

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Unfortunately, that perception, even though it lacks validation, has assumed the toga of reality. So we all need to sit down together, call it a referendum, call it a discussion, among members.

Her commitment to electoral reform stems not only from the concerns of her fellow contestants but also from a widespread perception within the Bar that NBA elections are consistently rigged. "Unfortunately, that perception, even though it lacks validation, has assumed the toga of reality," she stated, emphasizing the need for an "honest conversation" among members about future election processes.

Badejo-Okusanya stressed that an electoral system causing recurring disputes is detrimental to the association's growth. "So I will certainly be making electoral reform a priority so that we will have a system that everybody respects and agrees with," she declared, while admitting that a completely foolproof system is unattainable. The goal, she added, is to achieve a system that the majority of members respect and accept.

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So I will certainly be making electoral reform a priority so that we will have a system that everybody respects and agrees with.

Extending an olive branch to her rivals, the NBA President-elect expressed her intention to visit them and invite them to collaborate on advancing the association. "My message to them is that they have always known me to be someone who reaches out, someone who treats everyone with respect and civility, and I hope that we can come together and move the Bar forward," she said.

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My message to them is that they have always known me to be someone who reaches out, someone who treats everyone with respect and civility, and I hope that we can come together and move the Bar forward.

She also paid tribute to Dame Priscilla Kuye, the first woman to lead the NBA from 1991 to 1992, calling her an inspiration. Badejo-Okusanya, who secured 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 percent of the total, expressed excitement about the possibilities her presidency holds for aspiring legal professionals.

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It is on her shoulders that people like me have stood to achieve this feat. I’m excited about it. I am excited about the possibilities that it holds for people who look at this and aspire to greater heights. So I am very excited about it.