BREAKING: NBA President Confirms DSS Is Holding One NBA Election Service Provider, Asking Questions about the 2nd Provider
A dramatic twist has emerged in the build-up to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) 2026 National Elections, with NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, confirming to members of the Association’s National Executive Council (NEC) that the Department of State Services (DSS) is holding one of the service providers engaged for Saturday’s electronic poll.
The confirmation came during an emergency virtual meeting of the NBA National Executive Council convened on Thursday, following reports that the Managing Director of the election service provider was intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, while travelling to Abuja to conclude preparations for the July 18 election.
Multiple sources familiar with the emergency meeting told LawBlogNG that the NBA President informed NEC members that the service provider is currently being questioned by the DSS over the identities and roles of other companies and personnel involved in delivering the Association’s electronic voting infrastructure.
The development marks the first official acknowledgment from the leadership of the NBA that one of the election service providers is in the custody of the nation’s domestic intelligence agency.
The latest disclosure follows an earlier claim by former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission and renowned human rights lawyer, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, who alleged on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account that the Managing Director of the NBA’s election service provider had been detained by persons suspected to be DSS operatives at the Lagos airport.
Odinkalu further alleged that the official’s laptop computers, mobile phones and other electronic devices were seized before he was taken into custody, claiming the operation was intended to frustrate the conduct of the NBA’s 2026 national election.
Although the NBA President’s briefing to NEC members confirms that a service provider is in DSS custody, the Association has not publicly stated whether electronic devices were seized or whether the questioning is connected to any ongoing criminal investigation.
The development has immediately heightened tension within Nigeria’s legal community, coming barely 48 hours before lawyers across the country are expected to log onto the electronic voting platform to elect new national officers.
The NBA election has already been one of the most closely watched and fiercely contested in recent years, with intense debates over the composition of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), the appointment of the election service provider, and repeated calls by stakeholders for transparency and institutional independence.
The reported detention of a key service provider at such a critical stage of the electoral process is expected to trigger fresh questions about the readiness of the election, the security of the electronic voting infrastructure, and whether the incident could affect the smooth conduct of Saturday’s poll.
As of the time of filing this report, the Department of State Services had not issued any official statement on the matter. The Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) has also not publicly commented on the development.
LawBlogNG understands that the emergency NEC meeting remains in session as members deliberate on the implications of the development and possible steps to safeguard the integrity of the forthcoming election.
This is a developing story. LawBlogNG will provide further verified updates as events unfold.
