Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has emerged as the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) after defeating two other senior lawyers in the association’s 2026 national officers’ election.

The Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, Aham Ejelam, SAN, announced the results at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja, yesterday, following the conclusion of the election, which was delayed by technical challenges and a cyberattack.

Ejelam said Badejo-Okusanya polled 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 per cent of the total votes cast, to defeat her closest challenger, Lateef Akangbe, SAN, who secured 7,934 votes, representing 30.39 per cent.

The third presidential candidate, Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, polled 5,855 votes, representing 22.43 per cent.

According to the ECNBA chairman, a total of 26,106 votes were recorded in the election.

With her victory, Badejo-Okusanya will serve as the association’s president for a two-year tenure spanning 2026 to 2028.

Her victory also makes her the second female president of the association, after Priscilla Kuye, who led the NBA from 1991 to 1992.

Other elected national officers include Oghenero Okoro, who emerged as First Vice-President with 11,024 votes; Afam Okeke, who was elected General Secretary with 8,478 votes; Aghogho Gladys, who won the position of Assistant General Secretary with 14,312 votes; and Chinelo Audrey Ofoegbunam, who emerged as Welfare Secretary with 14,911 votes.

Badejo-Okusanya was absent when the results were announced.

However, a member of her campaign team, Aminu Gadanya, SAN, attributed her absence to a flight delay and said the president-elect was committed to extending a “handshake of friendship” to all aggrieved candidates in the interest of unity.

Speaking after the declaration of the results, the outgoing NBA President, Afam Osigwe, SAN, said the election survived attempts to derail the process, including a cyberattack that forced the electoral committee to rebuild and migrate its ICT system to a more secure server.

“Our colleagues planned to truncate the election, but we stood firm. Every effort to derail this process failed. This is a trying time for the Bar. In the build-up to this election, many went to great lengths to rubbish the association,” he said.

He urged the newly elected officers to be magnanimous in victory and called on unsuccessful candidates to support the new leadership.

“To those who won, be magnanimous in victory; for those who lost, there is always another day. The cyberattack shows that we must do more in data protection. Let us collectively do things in an acceptable manner,” Osigwe said.

He added, “Someday, the story will be told of how this election was almost sabotaged.

“We must be able to promote the rule of law, and the NBA, made up of lawyers, should be able to determine the course of its electoral process. Where we made mistakes, I believe my successor will correct them.

“Winners should extend the hand of fellowship to those who lost and have a united front to move the Bar forward.

“The unity of the Bar cannot and should never be negotiated. As I now bow out, I wish the new EXCO all the very best in office.

“May we never see the day when those who lead us will be elected by people other than lawyers.”

Osigwe also disclosed that the Electoral Committee would conduct a comprehensive review of the electoral process, particularly the challenges encountered, with a view to strengthening confidence in future NBA elections and improving the association’s cybersecurity and electoral integrity.

The newly elected President has, however, pledged to build an association where every lawyer has the opportunity to “earn better, live better, and practise better.”

Badejo-Okusanya made the pledge in a message posted on her X handle, yesterday, shortly after she was declared winner of the NBA’s 2026 national officers’ election.

In her appreciation message, Badejo-Okusanya thanked members of the association for electing her and described the victory as one belonging to every lawyer who believed in a more inclusive and responsive NBA.

“Today, I stand before you with a heart filled with profound gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility.

“I am truly humbled by the confidence that members of the Nigerian Bar Association have reposed in me by electing me to serve as your President.

“Thank you for believing in our shared vision of A BOLDER BAR THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE. This victory is not mine alone; it belongs to every member who believed that our Association can be stronger, more inclusive, more responsive, and better positioned to serve the interests of all lawyers,” she said.

The senior advocate said her campaign was shaped by interactions with lawyers across the country and promised that those engagements would continue to guide her administration.

“Over the past months, I had the privilege of travelling across our nation, engaging with colleagues in every state of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

“I listened to your hopes, your concerns, your aspirations, and your ideas. Those conversations shaped this campaign, and they will continue to guide my leadership,” she stated.

She also called for unity among members of the Bar, regardless of the candidates they supported during the election.

“I extend my sincere appreciation to every member who participated in this election, regardless of the candidate you supported. The election is over. We are one Bar, united by a common commitment to the advancement of our profession and the defence of justice and the rule of law.

“I congratulate my fellow contestants for their commitment to our Association and for enriching this democratic process. I look forward to working with all of you as partners in building an NBA that reflects the very best of our profession,” she added.

Badejo-Okusanya thanked members of her campaign council, volunteers, supporters, family and friends for their support throughout the electioneering period.

She reserved special appreciation for her husband, thanking him for his “love, sacrifices, encouragement, and unwavering belief” throughout the campaign.

The president-elect pledged to lead the association with integrity, fairness and accountability.

“Today marks not the end of a campaign, but the beginning of a new responsibility.

“I pledge to lead with integrity, courage, humility, fairness, and accountability. I will be a President for every member of the Nigerian Bar Association. Together, we will build an Association where every lawyer has the opportunity to earn better, live better, and practise better.

“The work begins now. May God continue to bless the Nigerian Bar Association and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Thank you, and God bless you all,” she said.

Barring last minute changes, Nigeria will host the world public relations forum in September this year.

President, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Dr Ike Neliaku disclosed this in a goodwill message at the 2026 World Public Relations Day which took place at the Ignatius Ajuru university of Education, Port Harcourt

The theme for this year’s World Public Relations Day was “Golden Age; Driving Impact of Strategic Public Relations”.

The president, who was represented by a member of the Governing Council of the Institute, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, said over 3,000 delegates from over 128 countries are expected at the event scheduled to hold in Abuja this September.

Meanwhile, PR experts have called for policies that will ensure the inclusion of public relations practitioners in all decision making bodies in the society.

They said this at the just concluded world Public Relations Day in Port Harcourt.

According to them, public relations has evolved beyond mere media relations, as it has become a necessary ingredients for community development

Speaking on this, President of the Institute, Dr. Ike Neliaku, said public relations has evolved  into a high value strategic function at the highest level of decision making in the society.

“Public Relations practitioners are now board room strategists, reputation architects and custodians of institutional credibility, shaping decisions at the highest levels of governance and leadership,” he said.

He urged practitioners to lead with insight, counsel with integrity and build trust based relationship that define strategic influence.

?Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the NIPR, Rev. Francis Asuk, described the theme for the celebration as both timely and profound as it recognises the critical role of strategic communications in addressing the complex , social, economic, political and developmental challenges of our time.

Asuk said the celebration is a reminder that public relations has evolved to become a strategic management function that build trust, shape perception, strengthen institutions and foster sustainable relationship between organisation and their stakeholders.

The NIPR chairman, however, lamented the influx of quacks into the practice, warning that something must be done about it.

?He emphasized that only licensed professionals can effectively communicate and market government policies and organisational programmes to achieve set targets.

? “We have observed that people who are not professionals, who are not chartered, who are not members, are secretly entering  into the profession and creating confusion, creating all the wrong perceptions that sometimes come.

“If you are not a registered member of NIPR, you do not have the license to practice. And therefore, we encourage all those who want to be communication professionals,  to properly register with the NIPR. The NIPR has made it possible and has created a robust platform to encourage all who are qualified to come in and practice and be trained”.

?Azuk noted that the theme of the the 2026 World PR Day, “The Golden Age of Strategic Public Relations,”  recognises the critical role of strategic communications in addressing the complex social, economic, political, and developmental challenges of the the present time.

?”It also reminds us that public relations has evolved beyond publicity to become a strategic management function that builds trust, shapes perception, strengthens institutions, and fosters sustainable relationships between organisations and their stakeholders,” he added.

?He noted that for a developing economy such as Nigeria, strategic public relations is indispensable, stressing that sustainable development cannot be achieved without effective communication that encourages transparency, builds public confidence, promotes citizen engagement, and inspires active service.

By: John Bibor

President Bola Tinubu has commiserated with the former governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, over the passing of his mother, Dame Ezinne Mary Oduah Amaechi, who died at the age of 89.

Tinubu, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, last Friday, expressed heartfelt condolences to Amaechi and family, the Catholic Church and the government and people of Rivers State over the loss of the deceased.

He acknowledged the deceased’s commitment to the Catholic faith, her exemplary devotion to family values, and her dedication to raising her children.

The President also noted that the late matriarch’s life reflected the virtues of love, sacrifice, kindness, and perseverance, qualities that endeared her to all who came in contact with her.

He urged the bereaved family to take solace in the remarkable legacy of faith, dignity, and service that Dame Amaechi bequeathed to her children, the Church, and society.

“My heartfelt condolences to  Rt. Hon. Amaechi, the entire Amaechi family, the Catholic faithful, and the government and people of Rivers State over the loss of Dame Ezinne Amaechi, a champion of faith whose life was marked by humility and selfless service to humanity.

“May Almighty God grant her soul eternal rest and comfort all who mourn her passing at this difficult time”, the President said.

In his own condolence message, the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, expressed deep sympathy with Amaechi, describing the death of his mother as an irreparable loss not only to the immediate family, but to the Catholic congregation, the entire Ubima community and Rivers State.

In a condolence message issued on behalf of the government and people of Rivers State, Fubara noted that the loss of a mother is a deeply painful experience, and urged the family to take solace in the good life the deceased lived and the legacies she left behind.

He acknowledged the vital role the deceased “played in shaping the character and values of her family and the community at large.”

He prayed God Almighty to comfort the entire family at this difficult period and grant the soul of the departed matriarch a peaceful rest.