Senior Advocate of Nigeria Oyinkansola Badejo-Okunsanya has explained that her decision to contest for the presidency of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is driven by a desire to reposition the association to better serve the welfare and professional interests of lawyers across the country. She made the remarks during a campaign visit to members of the NBA Jalingo Branch ahead of the association’s July 18 election.
Badejo-Okunsanya said the NBA must evolve beyond the perception that it primarily caters to private legal practitioners, noting that its membership also includes lawyers in the public service, academia, corporate organisations and other sectors. According to her, every member deserves equal attention, representation and access to opportunities regardless of their area of practice.
She pledged that, if elected, her administration would prioritise members’ welfare, improve professional development opportunities and strengthen the protection, dignity and independence of legal practitioners. “My ambition is to help lawyers earn better, live better and practise better,” she said, adding that the Bar should become more responsive to the practical needs of its members.
The presidential hopeful also stressed the importance of building a more inclusive and constitutionally guided association, promising to ensure that every qualified lawyer has a voice in the affairs of the NBA. She argued that a stronger, more independent Bar is essential to promoting the rule of law, defending justice and advancing national development.
Badejo-Okunsanya is one of the leading candidates in the forthcoming NBA presidential election, where she is campaigning on a platform centred on members’ welfare, institutional reform, professional ethics and inclusive leadership. If elected, she would become the first woman to serve as President of the Nigerian Bar Association since its establishment.
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