By Sunday Ameh
The newly inaugurated 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, has been urged to prioritise reconciliation, institutional reform and professional welfare as she begins her tenure.
In an opinion piece titled “Beyond the Ballot: Shaping a Bar That Works for All,” Asiwaju Kunle Kalejaye, SAN, said the new administration has an opportunity to heal divisions within the association and restore confidence among members following a highly disputed election.
Kalejaye, who described Badejo-Okusanya’s emergence as a historic milestone as the first woman elected NBA President through a competitive national ballot, urged her administration to adopt an “olive branch” strategy by involving former opponents and their supporters in the governance of the association.
He cited former United States President Abraham Lincoln’s decision to appoint political rivals to key cabinet positions as an example of how former competitors could become partners in rebuilding institutions.
The senior lawyer also called for stronger welfare measures for young lawyers, including standardised minimum remuneration, mentorship programmes and training in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, data privacy and digital commerce.
He further advocated a clear framework for regulating lawyers’ conduct on social media, arguing that offensive and unprofessional online behaviour was damaging the reputation of the legal profession.
Kalejaye also urged the NBA to decentralise its activities by rotating national meetings across the country and providing greater support for smaller branches, thereby addressing perceptions that the association is Lagos- and Abuja-centric.
He warned that unresolved divisions, allegations of electoral manipulation and growing disengagement among members could push the NBA towards institutional fracture.
Referencing the historic 1992 Port Harcourt Conference crisis, he cautioned that failure to reconcile members and reform the association could put the NBA on what he described as the “road to Kigali.”
He, however, expressed optimism that the new leadership could use the present moment to unite the Bar, restore trust and strengthen its role as a defender of the rule of law in Nigeria.
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