ABUJA — Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has emerged as the early frontrunner in the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) presidential election, according to preliminary results released on Saturday.
As of 11:33 a.m., Badejo-Okusanya had secured 4,860 votes, representing 41.77 per cent of the ballots counted.
Her closest rival, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe (SAN), polled 3,851 votes (33.10 per cent), while Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN) received 2,924 votes, accounting for 25.13 per cent of the votes counted.
With about 11,600 votes recorded at the time, the early tally indicated a strong advantage for Badejo-Okusanya, although the final outcome of the election was still being awaited.
The closely watched election comes amid heightened scrutiny following allegations of possible interference in the electoral process.
On Friday, NBA President Afam Osigwe (SAN) dismissed claims that he was attempting to influence or rig the election, insisting that the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) operates independently and does not take directives from his office.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Osigwe also denied backing any presidential candidate, describing the allegations as politically motivated and lacking credible evidence.
His remarks followed weeks of controversy surrounding the July 18 NBA election, during which some presidential candidates and stakeholders questioned the credibility of the process. Critics had called for the election to be postponed, demanded mandatory National Identification Number (NIN) verification for voters, and accused the NBA leadership of attempting to sway the outcome.
The NBA leadership has consistently rejected the allegations, maintaining that the ECNBA is the only body constitutionally empowered to conduct the association’s elections.
Osigwe further stated that longstanding claims of manipulation in NBA elections had never been substantiated in any court of law, adding that his personal voting preference could not influence the outcome of the poll.
Final results of the election are expected to be announced upon the conclusion of vote collation.
Comments