By Taiwo Scholarstica
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has emerged as the early frontrunner in the Nigerian Bar Association presidential election, according to preliminary results released on Saturday.
The initial figures, released at 11:33 a.m., showed Badejo-Okusanya leading the race with 4,860 votes, representing 41.77 per cent of the ballots counted.
Her closest rival, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe (SAN), secured 3,851 votes, amounting to 33.10 per cent, while Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN) polled 2,924 votes, representing 25.13 per cent.
Although the final outcome had yet to be declared as of the time of filing this report, the 11,600 votes counted indicated that Badejo-Okusanya was maintaining a significant lead in the contest for the association’s top office.
The early results came a day after the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe (SAN), rejected allegations that he was attempting to influence or manipulate the election of the association’s national officers.
In Abuja on Friday, Osigwe maintained that the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association carried out its responsibilities independently and was not subject to directives from his office.
He also denied claims that he was supporting any particular candidate, describing the allegations as politically motivated and lacking any factual basis.
His remarks followed weeks of debate surrounding the July 18 NBA election, during which some presidential candidates and stakeholders raised concerns about the credibility of the process. They called for the election to be postponed, demanded compulsory National Identification Number verification for eligible voters and accused the NBA leadership of attempting to interfere in the exercise.
The association consistently rejected the allegations, insisting that the Electoral Committee remained the only body constitutionally authorised to organise and conduct the election.
According to Osigwe, allegations that NBA elections had always been manipulated had never been substantiated in court.
The NBA president also dismissed suggestions that his personal voting preference could influence the outcome of the election.