A candidate for the office of General Secretary in the 2026 Nigerian Bar Association National Elections, Okey Leo Ohagba, Esq., has expressed appreciation to his supporters while raising serious concerns over the conduct of the election, particularly the contest for the office of General Secretary.
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In a statement titled “Statement On The 2026 NBA National Elections: A Note Of Appreciation And A Call For Introspection,” Ohagba thanked Bar leaders, colleagues, friends and supporters who stood by him throughout what he described as an intense campaign journey.
He said the sacrifices, support and shared belief of his supporters in a truly automated and innovative NBA Secretariat remained his greatest strength during the campaign.
Ohagba particularly appreciated those who stayed awake, navigated the electronic voting hurdles and remained committed to his vision for a modernised Bar, saying their dedication showed that the desire for institutional excellence remains alive within the legal profession.
However, he said members of the Bar must examine the events of the last 24 hours with honesty and grave concern.
According to him, the 2026 NBA National Elections, especially the General Secretary contest, were allegedly marred by substantial systemic irregularities from the outset.
He listed the prolonged delay in the opening of the voting portal, sudden domain migration and widespread authentication glitches as some of the issues that allegedly affected the election.
Ohagba said those challenges did not merely disenfranchise a large number of lawyers but also undermined the institutional framework required for a transparent electoral exercise.
He further alleged that the structural failure of the voting platform was so serious that he, as a candidate for the office of General Secretary, was completely prevented from casting his own vote.
According to him, the system repeatedly displayed error messages even after he switched devices.
“The structural failure of the platform was so absolute that even I, as a candidate for the office of General Secretary, was completely prevented from casting my own vote,” he said.
Ohagba maintained that where an election platform systematically locks out voters, including candidates themselves, it destroys any claim to a level playing field.
He added that the same challenge allegedly affected thousands of lawyers across various branches who, according to him, were denied their constitutional right to vote.
The General Secretary candidate also questioned the operational integrity of the platform, saying the challenges witnessed suggested structural anomalies that appeared to align more with a predetermined direction than the authentic collective will of Nigerian lawyers.
He further said the real-time vote metrics displayed on the platform were, in his view, highly questionable and irreconcilable with what he described as the overwhelming data of his support base on the ground.
Ohagba argued that an election process that is structurally flawed cannot easily produce a legally sound or morally legitimate winner for the office of General Secretary.
According to him, accepting a result generated under such circumstances would be a disservice to the principles of equity, transparency and fairness which lawyers are expected to uphold as ministers in the temple of justice.
He said the integrity of the NBA and the credibility of the process must always override personal ambition.
Ohagba added that even if the system had declared him winner, he would not have been proud to celebrate victory from a process he considered heavily compromised and fundamentally flawed.
“A true leader must only assume office on the clear, unvitiated mandate of his colleagues,” he said.
While urging his supporters to remain peaceful, calm and professional, Ohagba called on members of the Association to pause and reconsider the validity of an outcome which, according to him, does not reflect the transparent standard required by the NBA Constitution.
He disclosed that he and his team would review the full technical data and engage relevant stakeholders before taking a definitive formal position on the election.
Ohagba said the step was necessary to ensure that the integrity of the Nigerian Bar Association is preserved.
He again thanked his supporters for their faith and support, praying for the Nigerian Bar Association.
The statement was signed by Okey Leo Ohagba, Esq., Candidate for the Office of General Secretary, NBA.
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