NBA ELECTIONS: BEYOND CONGRATULATIONS – THE TIME FOR GENUINE ELECTORAL REFORMS AND WEEDING OUT CABALS IS NOW

Clement Ugo Chukwuemeka

The 2026 Nigerian Bar Association presidential election has come and gone. Winners have emerged and have been duly declared by the allegedly independent Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA).

I extend my warm congratulations to every successful candidate who earned the confidence of members, especially the “BOLD” candidate herself, Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN. I equally commend every aspirant who offered himself or herself for service to our great Association. Contesting for leadership in the NBA is itself a sacrifice deserving of recognition.

However, while we congratulate the victors, we must not ignore the difficult questions that continue to confront our electoral process. An Association that refuses to learn from its shortcomings merely postpones future crises.

The adoption of universal suffrage within the NBA was a deliberate attempt to cure the shortcomings of the delegate system.

It was championed during the administration of Mazi Josiah Afam Osigwe, SAN, then General Secretary of the NBA, with the support of respected leaders of the Bar, including Chief Augustine Alegeh, SAN, then President of the NBA. The expectation was simple: every financially qualified legal practitioner called to the Nigerian Bar would have the opportunity to vote and be voted for, thereby deepening participation and strengthening democracy within the Association.

Unfortunately, from the commencement of universal suffrage through the amended 2015 NBA Constitution to the present election, none of the presidential elections has enjoyed universal acceptance as being completely free from controversy.

Every election has been followed by complaints, suspicion, division, and dissatisfaction. That alone calls for sober reflection.

Ironically, the system introduced to reduce the excesses associated with delegate elections has become even more financially burdensome. Aspirants now traverse the 134 NBA branches across the country at enormous expense, not only visiting the branches but also meeting the gatekeepers of the branches and various NBA forums. Campaign logistics have become so extravagant that some candidates reportedly resort to hiring private jets, costing well above US$18,000 per day, simply to meet campaign schedules.

Consequently, NBA elections are gradually becoming contests reserved for the wealthy, the politically connected, or heavily sponsored candidates. Competent lawyers with vision, integrity, and capacity are discouraged from participating because of the enormous financial burden attached to seeking office. Democracy should never become the exclusive preserve of the affluent. Sadly, the foremost professional body expected to hold government accountable, as reflected in Micah 6:8, Proverbs 31:8–9, Isaiah 1:17, Deuteronomy 16:18–20, and Qur’an 4:135 and 5:8, appears to be drifting in that direction.

The financial implications are only one part of the challenge.

The greater concern remains the credibility of the voting process itself.

The NBA Constitution provides for electronic voting, yet what has evolved in practice appears closer to internet-dependent remote voting, exposing the process to persistent complaints about access, connectivity, authentication, and transparency. This distinction is significant and deserves careful constitutional and technological examination.

One recurring complaint during this election was the inability of numerous eligible members to receive their One-Time Passwords (OTPs), thereby denying them the opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to vote. Inquiry telephone numbers published as help lines reportedly went unanswered throughout critical periods of the election. Some numbers were switched off altogether.

As a stakeholder in the affairs of the Nigerian Bar Association, a former Chairman of an NBA Branch, and a former Second Vice President of the Association, I personally experienced these challenges and was unable to cast my vote despite repeated efforts to reach the designated support channels. More troubling is the fact that similar complaints came from many other members, including some aspirants themselves.

Whether these failures resulted from incompetence, inadequate preparation, or systemic deficiencies, the effect remains the same: qualified members were disenfranchised.

That should concern every lawyer.

The Nigerian Bar Association is not an ordinary association. It is the conscience of the legal profession and one of the foremost institutions expected to defend constitutionalism, due process, accountability, and the rule of law. Our electoral process must therefore become a model worthy of emulation rather than one that continually attracts allegations of irregularities and avoidable administrative failures.

This is why I respectfully call upon the incoming President, Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, to place comprehensive electoral reform at the very top of her administration’s priorities.

Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya’s emergence is historic. Having known her over the years, I recognize her hard work, discipline, humility, and remarkable journey to the pinnacle of our profession. She has also distinguished herself through her elegance and professionalism, serving as a role model for many young female lawyers, especially at a time when some struggle to distinguish appropriate professional attire from social fashion. She also enjoys the support of a wonderful husband and family whose encouragement has undoubtedly contributed to her success.

Her campaign slogan, “BOLD,” must now find practical expression in every policy and programme of her administration, demonstrating a clear and deliberate distinction between “Afametrics” and “Bold.”

History offers an enduring lesson.

Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua openly acknowledged the imperfections of the electoral process that brought him into office and courageously initiated reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s electoral system. That example remains instructive.

Likewise, Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya has a unique opportunity to rise above the circumstances surrounding this election and become the President who restores confidence in NBA elections through courageous institutional reforms.

She owes no allegiance stronger than her allegiance to the Nigerian Bar Association itself.

The time has come to dismantle every structure that breeds distrust, opacity, exclusion, and the perception of entrenched interests. Electoral reforms must guarantee transparency, accessibility, accountability, affordability, and equal opportunity for every qualified lawyer, irrespective of financial strength or political affiliation.

Beyond constitutional amendments, the NBA should commission an independent review of its electoral architecture, drawing lessons from successful electronic voting systems used by professional bodies and democratic jurisdictions across the world.

We must ask difficult questions about technology, verification, cybersecurity, auditability, voter support, and post-election dispute resolution.

Ultimately, the success of any electoral system is not measured merely by announcing winners. It is measured by the confidence of both winners and losers in the integrity of the process.

The day the loser sincerely congratulates the winner because the process was unquestionably credible will be the day the NBA can proudly declare that it has built an electoral system worthy of its constitutional responsibilities.

That day has sadly remained elusive in our presidential elections.

May this administration become the one that changes that narrative forever.

As one who remains deeply committed to the future of our Association, I stand ready to contribute my quota, particularly in the area of electoral reform.

Before any welfare programme can achieve its intended impact, members must first regain confidence in the democratic institutions of the NBA.

A united Bar is stronger than a divided one.

Only then shall we truly say that BOLD is here.

Only then shall we truly say that the NBA remains One Bar.

Only then shall we truly say that we are united by justice.

Only then shall we truly say that we are strengthened by democracy.

Only then shall we truly say that we are inspired by the rule of law.

Let electoral reforms and the weeding out of cabals become the only foundation upon which that unity is rebuilt.

Being BOLD is not merely a campaign slogan — it is now time to live it.

• Clement Ugo Chukwuemeka (Democrat) Convener, NBA Democratic Movement
• The views expressed in this article are entirely those of the author

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