On 18 July 2026, lawyers across Nigeria will vote to elect the leader who will guide the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for the next two years. In a field of distinguished Senior Advocates and accomplished practitioners, one candidacy stands apart—not merely for credentials, but for the bold vision and moral clarity it brings to a profession at a crossroads.
The past few years have tested the soul of the Nigerian legal profession. The judiciary has faced relentless pressure. The rule of law has been strained by executive actions that many view as reckless and overreaching. The unlawful removal of Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen remains a scar on our collective memory. More recently, the controversial declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, sweeping away a democratically elected governor and state assembly without due process, has once again raised troubling questions: Where does the NBA stand when power disregards the Constitution? What is the true role of the Bar in defending democracy and deepening jurisprudence in Nigeria?
These are not abstract concerns. They strike at the heart of who we are as officers in the temple of justice. Yet, too often, when Nigerian lawyers cast their ballots, these existential questions fade into the background. We owe ourselves and our nation, a deeper reckoning: Can the NBA remain a passive observer while the foundations of justice erode? Or must it become a fearless guardian of the rule of law?
In this pivotal election to succeed the outgoing President, Afam Osigwe, SAN, several qualified contenders have emerged. Each brings impressive credentials. However, after carefully reviewing their manifestos, listening to their messages, and weighing their visions, one voice resonates most powerfully with the challenges and aspirations of our time.
That voice belongs to Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, the only female candidate in the race.
What draws many to her is not novelty, but necessity. She envisions a Bar that is truly independent, economically empowered, and courageously vocal in speaking truth to power. In conversations with young lawyers, she has heard their quiet despair: “Is there a future for me in this profession?” She has seen seasoned practitioners buckling under rising costs, questioning the value of their NBA membership.
These are not tomorrow’s problems. They are today’s urgent realities. Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya refuses to kick these issues down the road. She speaks with fierce conviction about the need to address young lawyers’ remuneration, reform NBA operations to make them more responsive, restore economic dignity to the profession, and create genuine opportunities for all. Her manifesto rests on five transformative pillars:
- Earn Better
- Spend Less to Practise
- Live Better
- Be Protected
- Belong to a Bar that Works
At its core is a simple yet revolutionary conviction: the time has come for Nigerian lawyers to move from merely surviving to truly thriving.
This “Fierce Urgency of Now” extends beyond economics. It touches the soul of the profession.
It is no coincidence that this election offers the historic opportunity to elect the NBA’s first female president in over three decades. Yet, as Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya herself insists, this is not merely about breaking a glass ceiling. It is about shattering the limiting belief that certain opportunities belong only to a select few.
When a young female lawyer can look at the NBA and see possibility instead of barriers, our profession grows stronger. When every lawyer, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, or background, believes that merit, service, and competence are what truly matter, the entire Bar is elevated.
The Fierce Urgency of Now means:
- Restoring economic dignity to lawyers
- Reforming the NBA to serve its members effectively
- Creating real opportunities for growth and protection
- Building a Bar where everyone truly belongs
As the polls approach, Nigerian lawyers stand at a historic junction. We can choose to make history by electing our first female president. More importantly, we can chart a bold new direction: a Bar that works for every member, defends the Constitution without fear, and inspires the next generation to aspire without limits.
Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya, fondly called “Mrs. B,” represents the bridge between the old and the new, experienced yet innovative, principled yet pragmatic. Forces may attempt to stop her on the altar of primordial sentiments and outdated excuses. But history will not be kind to a generation that allows competence and vision to be sacrificed for prejudice.
To the young lawyers yearning for a better Bar, this is your moment.
To every female lawyer who dreams of one day leading the Association, this is your opportunity.
To all who believe in a profession defined by ideas, innovation, and excellence rather than affiliation or biology, this is our time.
As William Shakespeare poignantly wrote: There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat, And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures.
The tide is here. Let us be bold. Let us be courageous. Let us choose wisely for the future of the Bar and the soul of our nation.
Eleojo Maxwell, Esq.
Lagos-based Lawyer and Risk Analyst
