The outcome of the 2026 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) presidential election was, to me, hardly surprising. The decisive victory of Oyinkan Badejo-Okusanya SAN and the distant third-place finish of Muyiwa Akinboro SAN merely confirmed what had become increasingly evident long before voting commenced.
The months preceding the election were dominated by controversies generated by the Akinboro/Egbe Amofin camp. There were persistent allegations of bias, concerns over the integrity of the electoral process and accusations of partisanship against the outgoing NBA President, Afam Osigwe. Whether one agrees with those allegations or not, it cannot be denied that the perception of presidential neutrality suffered. That is unfortunate because the occupant of that office must always be seen to stand above electoral politics.
However, elections are won not merely by exposing perceived flaws in the process but by executing a coherent political strategy. On that score, the Akinboro/Egbe Amofin campaign fell short.
As election day approached, lawyers across the country were left asking fundamental questions. Was the campaign still in the race? Was it boycotting the election? Were supporters expected to vote or to abstain? The mixed signals created uncertainty where clarity was required. Elections reward organisation, discipline and consistency. They rarely reward ambiguity.
I say this not as a critic of the ideals that Egbe Amofin has historically represented. On the contrary, I believe many of the issues it has consistently raised deserve serious consideration. But belief in a cause cannot substitute for political strategy.
Three presidential election cycles have now ended in disappointment. At some point, every serious political movement must pause and ask itself difficult questions. If the same strategy repeatedly produces the same outcome, then the strategy not merely the process deserves scrutiny.
This is why I believe Egbe Amofin stands at an important crossroads. It can continue to explain away every defeat solely through the lens of electoral manipulation, or it can undertake the far more difficult exercise of strategic renewal. The former offers temporary comfort; the latter offers the only realistic path back to relevance.
To be clear, concerns about electoral integrity should never be dismissed. Every democratic institution must strive for transparency, fairness and accountability. But allegations of irregularities, however genuine, cannot become a substitute for building broad coalitions, expanding political appeal and adapting to changing realities. Winning elections requires more than moral conviction; it requires political effectiveness.
The conversation, however, should not end with Egbe Amofin.
The larger issue is that the NBA itself has become an increasingly unwieldy institution. It seeks to represent an extraordinarily diverse legal profession through a single national structure that has grown too large, too politically charged and too difficult to manage effectively. Every election now resembles a national political contest, complete with regional alignments, factional battles and post-election recriminations.
Perhaps the time has come to ask a question many have been reluctant to confront.
Is the era of a single, all-encompassing Bar association drawing to a close?
Many mature jurisdictions accommodate multiple Bar associations that coexist, compete and collaborate while advancing the interests of the profession. Diversity of professional representation has not weakened those jurisdictions; in many cases, it has strengthened them by creating greater responsiveness, innovation and accountability.
Nigeria should not regard that conversation as heresy. It may well be the next logical stage in the evolution of our legal profession.
The election of Oyinkan Badejo-Okusanya SAN presents a fresh opportunity. She has earned the confidence of the electorate and deserves the goodwill of the profession. Her immediate challenge is not merely to lead, but to heal. The divisions exposed during this election are real, and they will not disappear simply because the votes have been counted. Rebuilding trust across the various tendencies within the Bar may well become the defining test of her presidency.
For the rest of us, the lesson is equally clear.
Institutions endure when they are willing to reform. Political movements endure when they are willing to learn. Those that do neither eventually become prisoners of their own history.
The NBA has reached one of those defining moments. We can continue to replay the same script every election cycle, or we can summon the courage to rethink the future of the organised Bar.
The choice is ours.
