A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has taken an early lead in the Nigerian Bar Association presidential election.

In the early results released as of 11:33 am on Saturday, PUNCH Online findings showed that Badejo-Okusanya polled 4,860 votes, representing 41.77 per cent of the ballots counted.

Her closest challenger, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe (SAN), secured 3,851 votes or 33.10 per cent, while Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro (SAN) garnered 2,924 votes, representing 25.13 per cent.

Although final results were still being awaited as of the time of filing this report, the 11,600 votes cast so far suggested that the legal practitioners’ body was tilting in favour of Badejo-Okusanya.

The development comes barely 24 hours after NBA President, Afam Osigwe (SAN), dismissed allegations that he was attempting to rig or interfere in the association’s national officers’ election.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, Osigwe insisted that the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association operated independently and took no instructions from him.

He also denied claims that he was backing a preferred candidate, describing the allegations as politically motivated and unsupported by evidence.

His remarks followed weeks of controversy over the July 18 NBA election, with some presidential candidates and stakeholders questioning the integrity of the process, calling for the poll to be postponed, demanding mandatory National Identification Number verification for voters and accusing the NBA leadership of attempting to influence the outcome.

The association consistently denied the allegations, maintaining that only the Electoral Committee was constitutionally empowered to conduct the election.

According to Osigwe, allegations that NBA elections had always been manipulated had never been substantiated in court.

The NBA president also dismissed suggestions that his personal voting preference could influence the outcome of the election. (PUNCH)