The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has invited international and domestic election observers to monitor its upcoming national officers’ election amid the controversy surrounding the poll.
It invited the European Union (EU), the United States Embassy, the British High Commission and other international bodies, as well as domestic organisations like Yiaga Africa and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), to monitor the election.
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The election is slated to be held electronically on 18 July.
The invitation was contained in a statement signed by the NBA President, Afam Osigwe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and published on the association’s blog on Friday.
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“Beyond the European Union and the United States Embassy, invitations were also extended to the British High Commission, Yiaga Africa, the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), and other diplomatic missions, election observation bodies and civil society organisations with established records in election observation, democratic governance and the promotion of the rule of law,” Mr Osigwe said.
“The 2026 National Elections will be conducted electronically, with accredited observers expected to monitor proceedings from the Central Election Control Room at the NBA National Secretariat, Abuja.”
He added that the control room will coordinate election management, technical operations, results collation and observer accreditation, while providing accredited observers with full access to monitor the process, interact with officials of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), and observe the declaration of results.
The statement comes days after the association rejected alleged directives seeking to postpone the election and amid ongoing litigation and allegations over the electoral process.
The NBA said the move also followed what it described as recent attempts by external interests to interfere with its electoral process through efforts to procure directives aimed at postponing the election and imposing conditions not provided for under the NBA Constitution.
The association described the development as “unprecedented attempts at external interference” and reiterated that the election would proceed in accordance with the NBA Constitution and the ECNBA Guidelines.
Mr Osigwe said the invitation reflects the association’s commitment to conducting a transparent, credible, free and fair election consistent with international best practices.
“The participation of respected international and domestic observers will further strengthen confidence in the integrity and credibility of the electoral process,” according to the recent statement.
Poll controversies
The controversy over the NBA’s 2026 national officers’ election began months before voting and has since expanded from internal disagreements into multiple court cases, allegations of bias, mediation efforts by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and public exchanges over the integrity of the electoral process.
The first major dispute emerged after the aborted election of the NBA’s Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL) in January.
Members of Egbe Amofin O’odua accused Mr Osigwe of interfering in the process for partisan reasons ahead of the 2026 national election.
The group alleged that the decision formed part of a wider plan to influence the forthcoming poll and called for the dissolution of the ECNBA. Mr Osigwe denied the allegation.
The disagreement later moved to court as members of Egbe Amofin at the Oyo State High Court challenged aspects of the 2026 election, including the composition of the ECNBA and the electoral process.
The court would later granted an interim orders affecting preparations for the election, prompting appeals that remain part of the broader legal dispute over the poll.
As the litigation continued, the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, convened a stakeholders’ meeting on 11 June involving NBA leaders, past presidents and parties to the dispute in an effort to broker a settlement.
A sub-committee was established to engage the parties and report back.
Fresh controversy erupted in early July after a document surfaced online purporting to contain the sub-committee’s report and directives attributed to the AGF.
The document recommended postponing the election, disbanding the ECNBA, appointing a caretaker committee, replacing the association’s election service provider, introducing National Identification Number (NIN) verification for voters and reviewing provisions of the NBA Constitution.
The NBA immediately distanced itself from the document.
In a statement, Mr Osigwe said only the National Executive Council (NEC) has the constitutional authority to postpone the election.
He argued that the Legal Practitioners Act does not empower the attorney general to direct the affairs of the association. He also maintained that the sub-committee was established only to facilitate discussions on withdrawing the pending court cases, not to determine the future of the election.
The dispute intensified after fresh allegations emerged that the NBA president was using his office to support a preferred candidate in the election.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Osigwe during an interview denied the allegation, insisting that he had remained neutral throughout the process and had neither endorsed nor campaigned for any aspirant. He also defended the electoral committee, saying it was carrying out its constitutional responsibilities independently.
The latest development comes as the NBA pushes ahead with preparations for the election scheduled for 20 July, despite the pending litigation and the series of disputes that have trailed the process.
The association has maintained that the poll will proceed in accordance with its Constitution and the ECNBA Guidelines.
READ ALSO: NBA president denies using his office to back preferred candidate, clarifies association’s role in state police committee
How the NBA election works
The 2026 NBA election is scheduled for 18 July, leaving about 10 days before lawyers across the country elect a new national leadership to succeed the administration of Mr Osigwe.
The election will be conducted by the ECNBA, an independent body established under the NBA constitution to organise and supervise the association’s national elections.
The committee is responsible for screening aspirants, publishing the final list of candidates and the voters’ register, overseeing voter verification, managing the electronic voting platform, resolving election-related complaints, collating results and declaring the winners.
Preparations for the poll are already at an advanced stage. The committee has screened aspirants, determined appeals arising from the screening process and cleared 35 candidates to contest various national offices.
It has also published the final list of candidates, released the voters’ register and continued voter education ahead of the poll.
The contest has attracted particular attention, with three Senior Advocates of Nigeria jostling for the presidential position.
They are Olumuyiwa Akinboro, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, and Oyinkansola Badejo-Okunsanya.
The election will be conducted electronically, allowing eligible lawyers in Nigeria and the diaspora to vote remotely after satisfying constitutional requirements.
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