Nigerian lawyers propose the Law Society of Lesotho oversee the NBA national officers election to ensure impartiality amid legal challenges

A group of Nigerian lawyers under the Nigerian Law Society (NLS) has proposed that the Law Society of Lesotho oversee the 2026 NBA national officers election, following a legal challenge questioning the impartiality of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President and the electoral committee.

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In a letter dated March 6, 2026, NLS Executive Director Dr Tonye Clinton Jaja addressed NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, and lead counsel for the plaintiffs, Jibrin Samuel Okupeta, SAN, suggesting the appointment of Lesotho’s legal body as an independent and neutral umpire to conduct the poll.

The proposal comes after a suit was filed by NBA members Ibrahim Lawal, Esq., Raymond Oki, Esq., Omotan Olusola Ogunmodede, Esq., and Chief Gabriel Ojo Adekunle Ijalana, Esq., seeking to halt the election.

An Oyo State High Court issued an interim order restraining the NBA President and electoral committee from proceeding with the exercise, scheduled for July 2026.

The plaintiffs allege that concerns over impartiality could compromise the integrity of the election, which is intended to select the NBA President and other national officers. The court adjourned the motion for interlocutory injunction to March 12, 2026.

The NLS urged both parties to accept the proposal, describing it as an out-of-court settlement in the best interests of the Nigerian legal profession, which encompasses litigation and non-litigation lawyers.

“The President of the Nigerian Bar Association has been sued over alleged doubts about his impartiality in the forthcoming elections,” the letter read. “We propose the Law Society of Lesotho act as an external, independent, and neutral umpire to ensure a fair process.”

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If approved, the intervention could provide a neutral framework for the July election, resolving the current legal deadlock and upholding confidence in the NBA’s electoral process.