Showdown in NBA as national elections hold today amid rigging fears, candidate imposition row
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has formally extended invitations to local and international observers, including the United States Embassy, the British High Commission, the European Union (EU), Yiaga Africa, and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), to monitor its national officers’ elections scheduled for today, Saturday, 18 July 2026.
The NBA president, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, who disclosed this in separate letters, stated that the move aims to strengthen public confidence, ensure maximum transparency, and reinforce the credibility of the association’s electoral process.
E-voting control room and security surveillance
The 2026 election, like the previous ones, is being conducted electronically. To maintain institutional integrity, accredited international and domestic observers, alongside operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS), will monitor the entire process from the Central Election Control Room at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja.
READ ALSO: NBA ELECTION: AGF lacks power to postpone polls, disband electoral committee – Osigwe
The control room will serve as the hub for technical operations, election management, results collation, and observer coordination. Observers will have full access to interact with officials of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) up until the final declaration of results.
Rigging and imposition allegations
Addressing recent anxieties surrounding the election, Osigwe dismissed allegations of bias and rigging, assuring members that the process would be free, fair, and seamless. He revealed that as a testament to his neutrality, he has opted to forfeit his own right to vote in the election.
“In this election, I would want them to hold me responsible and accountable. We will ensure that this election is most credible in the history of the NBA,” Osigwe asserted. “All the allegations of rigging are aimed at damaging the NBA’s reputation… all we want is a president that would command the respect of Nigerians.”
He further clarified that the ECNBA remains a completely independent body that does not take directives from his office or any external forces.
Three candidates—all from the South-West geopolitical zone—are vying to succeed Osigwe. They include Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN; Lateef Omoyele, SAN and Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN (the sole female contender).
Osigwe strongly denied rumors that he was attempting to impose a preferred candidate, turning the tables on a regional forum of Yoruba lawyers known as Egbe Amofin Oodua.
“It is absurd to accuse me of imposing a candidate when the Egbe Amofin is openly imposing a particular candidate. It is not logical,” he said, adding that while the NBA would not object if candidates voluntarily stepped down for one another, the national body will not succumb to pressure to block any individual’s aspirations to favor a regional choice.
Egbe Amofin demands postponement
The invitation of international observers comes amid a fierce internal dispute. The Egbe Amofin Oodua group had recently called for an immediate postponement of the election, citing deep concerns over the transparency of the electronic voting platform.
Speaking to journalists in Ibadan, the chairman of the Governing Council of Egbe Amofin Oodua, Isiaka Olagunju, SAN, accused the NBA national leadership of reneging on a prior stakeholder agreement to delay the poll.
Olagunju, a former general secretary of the NBA, argued that a postponement was necessary to implement crucial electoral reforms—specifically, switching the voter authentication method from email verification to National Identification Number (NIN)-linked phone numbers.
The NBA, however, firmly rejected these demands, characterizing them as “unprecedented attempts by external interests” to procure backdoor directives to disrupt its constitutional timeline. The association reiterated its unwavering resolve to protect its institutional autonomy and conduct the polls strictly under existing ECNBA guidelines.
Service provider arrested
Adding to the pre-election drama, Osigwe confirmed that a technical service provider contracted for the election had been arrested by security operatives. He disclosed, however, that the lead personnel has since been released, though some laptops were confiscated for investigation.
Despite the friction, the NBA leadership insists that the participation of premium global and domestic watchdogs will showcase the legal profession’s commitment to leading Nigeria by example in democratic governance and the rule of law.
