Who go be next president of di Nigerian Bar Association?

Di Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), wey be di umbrella body for all legal practitioners for Nigeria don start di process to elect a new national President and oda national officers. Di election dey expected to end by Sunday morning.

82,000 lawyers across 139 branches of the NBA dey eligible to vote and participate for dis election.

Earlier, di Department of State Services (DSS) bin arrest di Managing Director of di NBA Elector Service Provider, and di NBA executive council bin tink say dat go halt di election wey suppose hold on Saturday, but dem later release am.

Afta di release, Di Electoral Committee of di NBA bin express dia readiness to conduct free, fair, transparent and credible poll on Saturday, 18 July 2026.

Di election na for positions into various national officers wey include di President, first, second and third Vice President, General Secretary, Assistant General Secretary, Treasurer, Welfare, Publicity Secretary and di NBA representatives to di General Council of di Bar for di Eastern, Western and Northern Zone.

Three Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) dey eye di NBA presidency, two candidates dey bid for 1st Vice-President, one candidate for 3rd Vice-President, and five lawyers dey contest for di General Secretary position.

Also, dem clear three candidates to run for di posts of di Assistant General Secretary, three for Welfare Secretary, and three for Assistant Publicity Secretary, while di office of di Treasurer and Publicity Secretary get only one candidate each.

Profile of di presidential candidates

Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN

Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro na ogbonge lawyer and life bencher wey don hold key positions for di NBA. E don serve as Secretary and Chairman of di Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Abuja Branch, and General Secretary of di NBA. Life Member of di National Executive Committee, and Member of di General Council of di Bar.

He bin get call to bar for 1991, after e collect im Bachelor if Laws degree for 1990.

Dis 60-year-old SAN, according to im website bin attend Harvard Law School for 2013.

By 2015, e bicom Senior Advocate of Nigeria and den bicom a fello fir di Chartered Institute of Arbitrators for di UK for 2020.

E get experience from Plateau State Ministry of Justice, Femi Lanlehin & Co., and Adetokunbo Kayode (SAN) & Co.

Now e be di Principal Partner for Akinboro & co accordng to NBA.

Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe SAN FCIArb

Akangbe SAN na legal sabi pesin on taxation and cooperate lawyer. E bin represent Nigeria as former Africa Membership Officer of di International Bar Association's Taxes Committees. E also be Associate Member of di Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN)

For di NBA, e bin work as Chairman of di NBA Lagos Branch (2019–2021), e be former Chairman of di NBA Finance Committee and Member of di NBA National Executive Council (NEC).

E bin get im Bachelors of Laws from di University of Wolverhampton for UK for 1998 bifor e go get im Masters of Law for 2000 from di University of Westminster for Uk den e go on to get im MBA from di University of South Wales for 2001 also for di UK.

E be di Managing Partner for Sofunde, Osakwe, Ogundipe & Belgore wia e dey lead di Dispute Management Practice.

Oyinkansola Badejo Okunsanya SAN

She be di only female candidate for di Presidential election of di NBA and na SAN wey be Litigation, Arbitration & ADR sabi pesin.

She bin work as di General Counsel for di govnor of Lagos state from 2011 to 2015 afta she binchook head as di Senior Aide for id Justice Sector Reforn for di Attorney General office from 2007-2011.

According to di Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, her areas of interest na for Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law; Public Sector Policy and Regulatory Compliance.

For di NBA, she bin serve as di Assistant Secretary of di NBA Lagos Branch and di co-opted member of di NBA National Executive Council since 2022.

As at now she be partner for African Law Practice and be Board Member for di Lagos Court of Arbitration.

Whoever win out of di three candidates go take ova from Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN.