The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has maintained that its national officers’ election will go ahead as scheduled on July 18, 2026, despite directives from the Attorney General of the Federation aimed at resolving ongoing disputes in the electoral process.
The position was reinforced as the association dismissed reports suggesting postponement and continued preparations for what many lawyers see as a critical poll.
Background to the 2026 NBA Elections Crisis
Disagreements over the conduct of the forthcoming NBA National Officers’ Election have divided stakeholders in recent weeks. Some presidential candidates and sections of the Bar raised concerns about the integrity of the process, prompting external intervention.
In response, the Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, convened a stakeholders’ meeting on June 11, 2026. A three-man committee was later set up to investigate the issues and recommend the way forward.
The committee submitted its reports, after which the AGF issued directives on July 6, 2026. The recommendations reportedly touched on the composition of the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA), the service provider, and other aspects of the electoral framework.
AGF Directives and Calls for Compliance
A section of lawyers, including Bayonle Beyioku, has argued that the AGF’s directives are binding on all stakeholders. Beyioku, in a recent statement, faulted NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, for publicly rejecting the recommendations. He maintained that the AGF, as Chairman of the General Council of the Bar, acted within his constitutional role.
Beyioku warned that ignoring the directives could deepen divisions within the Bar and undermine the credibility of the election. He urged leaders to treat the intervention as an opportunity to strengthen the process rather than resist it.
NBA Leadership Maintains Autonomy
The NBA leadership has strongly rejected the AGF’s directives, describing them as unconstitutional interference in the internal affairs of the association. President Afam Osigwe has insisted that only the National Executive Council of the NBA has the power to alter the election timetable or process.
The association has confirmed that the election will hold on July 18, 2026, as planned. It has also invited international and local observers, including the European Union, United States Embassy, British High Commission, Yiaga Africa and the Transition Monitoring Group, to monitor the exercise.
The Midwest Bar Forum and the Electoral Committee of the NBA have similarly distanced themselves from the AGF’s recommendations, insisting that the NBA Constitution remains supreme.
With just five days to the election, tensions remain high. Campaigning by the three main presidential candidates — Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya SAN, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe SAN, and Olumuyiwa Akinboro SAN — has intensified.
Lawyers across the country are watching closely to see whether the election will proceed smoothly or whether the current disagreements will cast a shadow over the outcome.
The coming days will test the resilience of the Nigerian Bar Association as it seeks to conduct what it hopes will be a credible and widely accepted poll.
