NBA 2026 ELECTION: The Anointed, The Adopted, The Professor and The Gentleman Strategize to Replace Osigwe SAN as NBA President

At the Nigerian Bar Association’s National Executive Council, NBA NEC meeting held in Enugu on 23^rd August 2025, the NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe SAN told the leaders of the Association that following his intervention, the Mid-Western Bar Forum, a section of the Western Bar zone has mandated two of its members, Former NBA 1^st Vice President, John Aikpokpo-Martins and Former 3^rd Vice President of the Association, Mrs Mandy Asagba aspiring to contest for the position of the NBA President in 2026 when the position will be zoned to the Western Zone of the Association to step aside and leave the position solely for lawyers from the south western forum of the Western Zone. While reading the letter from Mid-Western Bar Forum, Osigwe SAN noted that although the electioneering period of the association has not been formally declared, however the political moves by aspirants has been obvious.

With the withdrawal of Aikpokpo-Martins and Asagba from the race in obedience to the Midwest Bar Forum directive, events at the NBA Annual General Conference in Enugu showed clearly that four prominent lawyers from the South Western zone of the NBA are seriously strategizing to take over from Osigwe SAN in 2026.

1. THE ANOINTED

MRS OYINKASOLA BADEJO-OKUSANYA (SAN in View) of the BOLD TRIBE

Maverick in appearance, Mrs Badejo Okusanya or Mrs B, as her supporters call her, is taking a bold step to break the age long history in the Nigerian Bar Association as the first woman to be elected as the NBA President.

Mrs Badejo-Okusanya wasn’t a known name in the Nigerian Bar Association’s leadership circle until 2022 when the then NBA President, YC Maikyau SAN co-opted her into the NBA National Executive Council thereby qualifying her to vie for NBA President in 2026. Maikyau SAN also appointed her firstly, as alternate Chairman of the NBA Annual General Conference Planning Committee, NBA AGCPC in 2023. The Current NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe was the Chairman of the NBA AGCPC in 2023. In 2024 She was again appointed by Maikyau SAN as the Chairman of AGCPC 2024.

While the 2023 NBA AGC in Abuja was largely successful, only blighted by the invitation of controversial Musician “Portable”, the AGC 2024 was marred with controversial adjustments to traditional NBA AGC programmes, Lack of Provision of traditional conference bags for lawyers, Controversial High Registration fees and poor organization that left many lawyers complaining bitterly. She was quoted to have retorted to Lawyers complaining of high conference fees in Lagos, that conference is not for every lawyer but for lawyers that can afford it.

Notwithstanding her poor outing in the few leadership roles she has handled for the NBA, Mrs B has emerged as a major contender to replace the current NBA President in 2026. At the just concluded NBA Annual General Conference in Enugu, her presence was bold as her lobbyists dominated the week long event with lawyer friendly programmes and #Bbold themed gifts.

Lawyers at the conference discuss in hush tones that she is the favored aspirant of the current NBA leadership. While the talk of her being favored remains a rumor, lawyers point out to the facts that her #BBOLD themed Diary, freely circulated at the Annual General Meeting of the Association while the meeting was ongoing and the 10 minutes fireworks dedicated to her at the official NBA Party called “The Unbarred” are evidence of her favorite position with the current NBA administration.

Aside, the rumored favorite position with the current NBA leadership, Mrs Badejo is rumored to have secured the anointing and support of Augustine Alegeh SAN, the revolutionary President of the NBA that introduced the Universal suffrage allowing all lawyers to vote in 2016. Alegeh SAN is loved by many lawyers and dubbed the father of modern NBA for his revolutionary strides as the President of NBA Between 2014 and 2016. Since 2016, all NBA Presidential aspirants anointed and supported by Alegeh SAN has emerged as Presidents of NBA. If the rumored anointing and support by Alegeh SAN is true, Mrs Badejo will become the candidate to beat in the 2026 election.

Mrs B, the leader of the #BBOLD tribe has also served her NBA Branch, Lagos Branch meritoriously as Assitant Secretary between 2004 and 2006. She has served her Branch in many other capacities.

Aside her service to NBA, Mrs B, is a partner at ALPNG and Co, a prominent Lagos Law Firm where she is regarded as a Litigation, Arbitration & ADR specialist, with experience in domestic and international dispute frameworks in dispute resolution and their workings. She is Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators United Kingdom.

STRENGTH:

• Rumored Anointing- All Candidates anointed in the past by Alegeh SAN, emerged as winners.
• Her Bold move to be the first Woman to be elected NBA President – Many Lawyers will like to see the age long negative record broken and therefore will prefer to vote a woman.
• Rumored Support from the current NBA Leadership.

WEAKNESS:

• Her Record of poor service: Her poor handling of 2024 annual general conference will be hard for many lawyers to forget
• Her Nascent entry into NBA National Service in 2022 seems to suggest a planned move for her to be elected NBA President in 2026.
• Egbe Amofin Oodua, Body of Yoruba Lawyers adopted another Aspirant and asked her to withdraw from the race
• Shares NBA Branch with two other Aspirants

 

2. THE ADOPTED

AARE OLUMUYIWA AKINBORO SAN

Akinboro SAN, a senior Advocate of Nigeria, a Life Bencher, a former General Secretary of the Association and former Chairman of NBA Abuja Branch when the 5 Branches of NBA in FCT are still under one branch, has been strategizing on how to replace Osigwe SAN as NBA President in 2026.

A giant in NBA circles, Akinboro SAN is the earliest aspirant to commence consultation with lawyers and until the recent #BBOLD manoeuvres at the just concluded NBA Annual General Conference in Enugu, he was the most notable of all the aspirants.

Aare Akinboro SAN consultation group is branded “Project Bar” and his supporters calls themselves, “Aarenation”.

Aare Akinboro SAN recently got adopted as the Yoruba Lawyer’s sole choice for NBA 2026 to 2028 Presidency in a controversial manner by the Yoruba Lawyers Association, Egbe Amofin Oodua. The Yoruba Lawyers group also asked his opponents who are all Yorubas to withdraw from the race and support him.

A fair assessment of the current list of aspirants will show that Aare Akinboro SAN is the most experienced in Bar affairs. His retinue of service to the NBA includes as Secretary and Chairman of NBA Abuja, and as General Secretary of the Association from 2010 to 2012. He is also a life member of the NBA National Executive Council, NBA NEC. He was also a member of the General Council of the Bar.

Of all the Aspirants, he is the only aspirants that has gotten open support from Senior advocates and senior members of Association. Notable Senior Advocates of Nigeria like J.S. Okutepa SAN, Ojo Adebayo SAN, Isiaka Olagunju SAN, Okey Ajunwa SAN, Paul Kassim SAN have all openly supported him in his consultation with lawyers.

His project Bar group sponsored free bags for the NBA NEC meeting under Osigwe SAN in Enugu and hosted lawyers to a week long party in Enugu at the Just concluded NBA AGC in Enugu.

Notwithstanding his seeming preparedness to lead Nigerian Lawyers, there are many lawyer who fear that Aare Akinboro SAN is among the Bar Leaders of the old order that detest universal suffrage for Nigerian Lawyers and its concomitant chaotic electoral processes.  Many young lawyers fear that Akinboro SAN represents the elites in the profession. His adoption by Egbe Amofin Oodua as its sole candidate has also fueled this fear of elitism and preference to old delegate system.

In appearance, Akinboro SAN carries himself with a royally entitled aura of a perfect gentleman. He seems socially shy and appears to be struggling with relating with young lawyers. He seems to prefer relating with young lawyers through intermediaries than direct relationship.

Aare Akinboro has a solid support base among older lawyers and seems the most prepared of all the aspirants to succeed Osigwe SAN.

He is the Principal Partner of Akinboro and Co, a flourishing law firm in Abuja. He was Secretary, NBA Abuja Branch, Chairman, NBA Abuja Branch, General Secretary Nigeria Bar Association, Member, Board of Trustees Abuja Multi-Door Courthouse, Member, FCT Judicial Service Committee Abuja, Member, FCT Land Use Allocation Committee, Chairman, FCT Judicial Service Committee Personnel Management Board, Member, Governing Council of The University of Benin, Member Body of Benchers of Nigeria, Member General Council of the Bar, Member NBA Disciplinary Committee, Trustee, Practice, Support and Development Initiative, Secretary, NBA National Headquarters Building Committee, Member, National Executive Committee NBA 2002-till date, NEC Representative NBA Abuja Branch 2008, Council Member, Abuja Chamber of Commerce, Mines and Agriculture (ABUCCIMA), Council Member, University of Benin, Commissioner/Board Member Federal Judicial Service Committee and many others.

STRENGHT:

• Preparedness- He is the most prepared of the Aspirants
• Adoption Egbe Amofin Oodua
• Most Experienced in Bar Affairs
• Open Support by Senior Advocates
• Sole Aspirant from Abuja Branch

WEAKNESS:

• Alegeh SAN rumored support of opponent: Only candidates supported by Former President Augustine Alegeh SAN have emerged as winners since 2016.
• His seeming difficulty in relating directly with young lawyers.

 

3. THE PROFESSOR

PROFESSOR FOLUKE DADA LAWANSON

Professor Foluke Dada Lawanson served as NBA 2^nd Vice President from 2018 to 2020. Like Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, Professor Dada is very experienced in Bar leadership. She is currently the Chairperson of NBA Lawyers in Academia Forum.

Unlike, the others aspirants, Professor Dada Lawanson has no known consultation group, or consultation Slogan. Her presence was almost non existent in Enugu during the just concluded Annual General Conference of the Association, leading many lawyers to question her preparedness to vie for the position in 2026.

Like Badejo Okusanya of the Bold Tribe, Prof. Lawanson is also seeking to break the age long tradition of only male elected NBA Presidents.

Bold, astute, and unwavering in her convictions, Professor Mrs. Foluke Dada-Lawanson stands out as a distinguished legal scholar and practitioner. With over 30 years of experience in academia and legal practice, she is recognized as one of Nigeria’s foremost experts in human rights, law and technology, gender rights, and alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

She served as the Dean of the College of Law at Caleb University, Lagos, where she led groundbreaking initiatives, including establishing the Human Rights & Technology Center and securing increased quotas and grants for the institution. Beyond academia, her influence extends to the NBA, where she has served in various leadership roles, including Chair of the Ado-Ekiti Branch (2016–2018) and Second Vice President of the NBA (2018–2020).

Professor Dada is a proven Bar Leader. She is loved by many lawyers.

STRENGH:

• Her Bold move to be the first Woman to be elected NBA President – Many Lawyers will like to see the age long negative record broken
• Sole Candidate from the Academia Constituency

WEAKNESS:

• Shares Branch with two other Aspirants
• Lawyers doubt her financial strength to execute a very capital intensive campaign.
• Alegeh SAN rumored support for another candidate.
• Egbe Amofin Oodua adopted another aspirant and asked her to step aside

 

4. THE GENTLEMAN

LATEEF OMOYEMI AKANGBE, SAN (Yemi Akangbe SAN)

With Youthful appearance similar to the current NBA President, Osigwe SAN and the Social and fun loving aura of the revolutionary former president of the NBA, Olumide Akpata Esq, Akangbe SAN is strategizing on how to replace Osigwe SAN in 2026.

Akangbe SAN is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a member of the Body of Benchers. He has served as past chairman of the Lagos Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association. He has been a member of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigerian Bar Association since 2019 till date.

Unlike other Candidates, Akangbe SAN has no notable record of service to NBA at the National level but the constituency which he is mostly appealing to, Young lawyers, may not care about that.

His Supporters point to his stellar service to NBA Lagos Branch as Chairman in support of his preparedness to lead the Bar and Nigerian Lawyers.

His support group are wooing lawyers with the mantra “Elevate the Bar”. They describe him as the perfect gentleman who will serve as a bridge between the elites and the young of the profession.

Akangbe SAN is the Managing Partner and head of the dispute resolution group in the Law Firm of Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe & Belgore (SOOB Law). He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) and an Associate of the Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN)

STRENGHT:

1. Youthful Appearance
2. Record of Good Service to NBA Lagos Branch

WEAKNESS:

1. Alegeh SAN rumored support of another aspirant
2. Egbe Amofin Oodua adopted another aspirant and asked him to step aside
3. He shares Branch with two other Aspirants