Court restrains NBA from conducting national election
The Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has issued an interim order restraining the Nigerian Bar Association from proceeding with steps toward the conduct of its 2026 National Officers’ Election.
Justice G. A. Opayinka granted the order on Wednesday while ruling on an ex parte application filed by four legal practitioners challenging the legitimacy of the electoral process and the role of the NBA leadership in the composition of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association.
The suit, marked I/221/2026, was instituted by four lawyers — Ibrahim Lawal, Raymond Oki, Omotan Olusola Ogunmodede and Chief Gabriel Ojo Adekunle Ijalana.
The claimants listed as defendants the President of the NBA, the Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Body of Benchers, the Attorney-General of the Federation in his capacity as Chairman of the General Council of the Bar, as well as Aham Ejelam (SAN), Ibrahim Aliyu Nasarawa, Mohammed Nuhu, Uju Okafor and Ume Maduka
In the ruling delivered on Wednesday, the court restrained members of the ECNBA from parading themselves as officials of the committee or taking any steps in furtherance of the forthcoming election pending the determination of a motion for interlocutory injunction.
The court held: “An interim order of injunction is hereby granted restraining the defendants/respondents, particularly the Chairman and members of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, from parading themselves as officials of the said committee or taking any steps whatsoever in furtherance of the conduct of the 2026 National Officers’ Election of the Nigerian Bar Association pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”
Justice Opayinka also restrained the NBA President, Afam Osigwe (SAN), alongside other defendants and respondents in the suit, from taking any steps toward the composition of the ECNBA or from participating in, supervising, influencing or interfering in any manner with the conduct of the 2026 National Officers’ Election pending the hearing and determination of the suit
