Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has emerged as the early frontrunner in the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) presidential election, raising prospects of becoming the association’s first female president if the current voting pattern is maintained.

Results available as of 11:33 a.m. on Saturday showed Badejo-Okusanya polling 4,860 votes, accounting for 41.77 per cent of the ballots counted.

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

Although the election was still underway and the final outcome had yet to be declared, the 11,600 votes counted so far placed Badejo-Okusanya in a commanding early lead.

The development comes a day after NBA President, Afam Osigwe (SAN), rejected allegations that he was attempting to influence or manipulate the outcome of the association’s national election.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Friday, Osigwe maintained that the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association operates independently and does not receive directives from the NBA leadership.

He also dismissed claims that he was backing any particular candidate, describing the allegations as politically motivated and lacking credible evidence.

The election has been preceded by weeks of controversy, with some contestants and stakeholders expressing concerns over the credibility of the process.

They called for the exercise to be postponed, demanded compulsory National Identification Number (NIN) verification for voters, and accused the NBA leadership of attempting to interfere in the election.

However, the association consistently denied the allegations, insisting that only the Electoral Committee is constitutionally empowered to organise and conduct the poll.

Osigwe further argued that longstanding claims of manipulation in previous NBA elections had never been proven in any court of law, adding that his personal voting preference could not determine the outcome of the election.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has declared unconstitutional key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 regulating political parties’ primary elections and membership registers, ruling that they infringe on the constitutional autonomy of political parties.

In a unanimous judgment delivered on Thursday, a three-member panel of the appellate court, led by Justice Balkisu Aliyu, nullified Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7), and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 (as amended).

The court held that the provisions conflict with Sections 221 and 222 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantee political parties the authority to manage their internal affairs, including determining their membership and selecting candidates for elective offices.

The judgment followed an appeal filed by the Zenith Party against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in suit No. CA/ABJ/CV/750/2026.

The party had challenged the May 5, 2026, decision of the Federal High Court, Abuja, where Justice Mohammed Umar dismissed its suit seeking to invalidate the contested provisions of the Electoral Act.

Arguing before the appellate court, the Zenith Party maintained that the law unlawfully encroached on the constitutional powers of political parties by dictating how they should conduct their primaries and manage their membership registers.

Before the judgment, Section 77(5) of the Electoral Act required that only members whose names appeared on a membership register submitted to INEC at least 21 days before party primaries, congresses, or conventions could participate in such exercises.

Section 77(6) prohibited political parties from using any membership register other than the one earlier submitted to INEC, while Section 77(7) barred any political party that failed to submit its register within the stipulated timeframe from fielding candidates for elections.

Similarly, Section 84(2) restricted political parties to selecting candidates either through direct primaries or by consensus.

Setting aside the earlier decision of the Federal High Court, the Court of Appeal ruled that the impugned provisions constitute an unconstitutional interference with the internal administration of political parties and are therefore null and void.

The leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a new turn as the Kabiru Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee (NWC) announced plans to appeal the Federal High Court judgment striking out its suit seeking official recognition.

The faction insisted that the legal battle over the party’s leadership was far from over and vowed to challenge the ruling at the appellate court.

Justice Salim Ibrahim of the Federal High Court in Abuja had dismissed the suit filed by the Adolphus Wabara-led Board of Trustees and other party stakeholders, holding that the matter concerned the internal affairs of the PDP and was therefore outside the court’s jurisdiction.

The court upheld the preliminary objections raised by the defendants before striking out the case.

Reacting to the judgment, the Turaki-led faction, through its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, expressed disagreement with the ruling, arguing that it was inconsistent with existing judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

The faction maintained that the trial court erred in declining jurisdiction and announced that its legal team had been instructed to immediately file an appeal against both the judgment and the accompanying rulings.

According to Ememobong, the group remains optimistic that the appellate courts will overturn the decision and uphold what it described as the principles of justice, constitutional order and internal democracy within the PDP.

He added that while the struggle for recognition may be prolonged, the faction remains convinced that it will ultimately prevail through the judicial process.

The latest development further highlights the lingering leadership dispute within the opposition party, as rival groups continue to battle for control ahead of future political contests.

The Kogi State High Court has dismissed as false reports circulating on social media alleging that it ordered the deregistration of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), insisting that no such case was ever heard before the court.

In a statement issued by the court’s Chief Information Officer, Saqeeb Saeed, the judiciary described the viral claim as misleading and clarified that it has not handled any matter relating to the registration or deregistration of the NDC or any other political party.

According to the statement, the alleged court order did not originate from the Kogi State High Court, contrary to the impression created by posts circulating online.

The judiciary also condemned the use of the photograph of the Chief Judge of Kogi State, Justice Josiah Joe Majebi, alongside that of former Governor Yahaya Bello in the viral publication, describing it as a deliberate attempt to falsely link the court to the alleged ruling.

The court explained that although it does not usually respond to misinformation on social media, it was compelled to issue a clarification because the inclusion of the Chief Judge’s image could mislead the public and damage the credibility of the judiciary.

It warned social media users, bloggers and content creators against disseminating unverified information capable of eroding public confidence in the judicial system.

Reaffirming its commitment to justice, the Kogi State High Court stressed that it remains dedicated to the fair, impartial and independent administration of justice without fear or favour.

The judiciary urged members of the public to disregard the viral report, maintaining that no judgment or order was issued by the court concerning the deregistration of the National Democratic Congress.