AN OPEN LETTER TO THE ELECTORAL COMMITTEE OF THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION (ECNBA)

Demand for Transparency and Clarification on the 2026 NBA National Elections.

The Chairman and Members,
Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA).

Dear Learned Silk and Distinguished Members,

I write as a concerned member of the Nigerian Bar Association who believes that the integrity of our electoral process is far more important than the success or failure of any individual candidate. I candidly hole the view that elections derive their legitimacy not merely from the declaration of results but from the confidence of the electorate that the process was transparent, credible, fair and verifiable.

The events that characterised the NBA National Elections of 18 July 2026 have left many members with genuine concerns. It was widely observed that the initial presidential ballot contained serious irregularities, including the misspelling of the name of one of the presidential candidates, Aare Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, and the apparent omission of his photograph while the photograph of the one candidate appeared on the ballot. These defects were sufficiently serious that the electronic voting platform was reportedly shut down and members were informed that voting would recommence at about 7:30 a.m., with earlier votes cancelled.

It was therefore surprising to examine the official election results and discover that a substantial volume of votes had nevertheless been recorded during the very hours when members had been informed that the process had been suspended.

According to the official ECNBA results, votes were recorded from midnight through 8:00 a.m., including 4,881 votes at 3:00 a.m., 3,937 votes at 4:00 a.m., 1,420 votes at 5:00 a.m., 1,425 votes at 6:00 a.m., and 2,367 votes at 7:00 a.m. These figures call for explanation.

If the initial votes were cancelled and the election was to recommence afresh at approximately 7:30 a.m., several questions naturally arise:

Where did these early morning votes originate?

Were the cancelled votes excluded from the final certified database?

If the platform had indeed been suspended, through what platform or process were these votes recorded?

Were all eligible voters afforded equal access to vote after the announced restart?

What independent audit was conducted to ensure that only valid votes cast after the restart formed part of the final tally?

These are not frivolous questions. They are questions that go to the very heart of electoral integrity. Every election management body owes participants a duty of transparency and accountability, particularly where technical interruptions and acknowledged defects have occurred.

Equally troubling are allegations by many members that while a large number of lawyers were unable to access the voting portal after the suspension, others allegedly succeeded in voting. Whether these allegations are true or false can only be determined by a transparent forensic audit of the election database, server logs, authentication records, timestamps and audit trail. Such an exercise would either vindicate the process or expose deficiencies requiring remedial action.

The Nigerian Bar Association has historically stood as the foremost defender of constitutionalism, due process, accountability and the rule of law. It would therefore be unfortunate if the Association were perceived as applying lower standards to its own electoral process than those it advocates for public elections.

Accordingly, I respectfully call upon the ECNBA to publish a comprehensive technical report explaining the sequence of events, disclose the complete audit trail of the election, clarify the status of all votes cast before the announced suspension, and explain the hourly voting statistics reflected in the certified results. Such transparency will strengthen confidence in the Association irrespective of who ultimately emerged victorious.

The credibility of the Nigerian Bar Association is a collective asset that must be protected. Silence in the face of legitimate questions only breeds suspicion, while openness strengthens institutional trust.

The legal profession deserves nothing less than complete transparency.

Yours faithfully,

O. F. Akeredolu, PhD
Legal Practitioner and Member, Nigerian Bar Association