NBA NATIONAL ELECTIONS: ECNBA issues advisory to voters facing OTP delays
The Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) has issued a critical advisory to voters experiencing delays in receiving their SMS One-Time Passwords (OTPs) for the ongoing 2026 NBA National Elections.
Acknowledging the hitches in a statement released on Saturday, the Committee attributed the delays to heavy traffic on the e-voting platform. The ECNBA urged members to exercise patience and strictly follow the prescribed authentication guidelines to avoid compounding the system congestion.
According to the statement signed by the ECNBA Chairman, Ahame Ejelam, SAN, and the Secretary, Ibrahim Aliyu Nassarawa, Esq., voters who do not receive their OTP within five minutes of their request are advised to log out of the portal completely. They should wait for 20 minutes before logging back in to request a fresh OTP.
READ ALSO:
NBA 2026: ECNBA migrates voting to new ‘secure’ portal after 7-hour tech delay
Showdown in NBA as national elections hold today amid rigging fears, candidate imposition row
The Committee strongly warned against making repeated OTP requests, noting that doing so would further congest the network and prolong the delays for all eligible voters.
To ensure a smooth voting experience, the ECNBA advised voters to take the following steps:
Verify that their registered phone numbers are correct.
Ensure their mobile devices have adequate network coverage.
Check their main SMS inbox as well as “Spam” or “Blocked Messages” folders.
Confirm that their phones are not set to “Do Not Disturb” (DND) mode.
Utilize the OTP immediately upon receipt, as it is time-sensitive and expires after a short window.
Reassuring lawyers across the country of the integrity of the poll, the committee emphasized that the e-voting system is robust and currently managing a high volume of traffic, stressing that every validly cast vote will count. Voters were also reminded to check their registered emails after casting their ballots to retrieve their official voting reference numbers.
For members requiring immediate technical assistance, the ECNBA has deployed a dedicated support helpdesk reachable via phone calls or WhatsApp on the following lines:
08144274159
09161044495
08104510797
