Presidential candidate of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, has issued a detailed response to the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) following its June 12, 2026 press statement addressing concerns surrounding the ongoing NBA election process. In a letter dated June 15, 2026, Akangbe commended the Committee for engaging with stakeholders but maintained that its explanations had failed to adequately address key issues relating to the appointment of election service providers, voter authentication mechanisms, and transparency in the procurement process.
The presidential hopeful questioned the ECNBA’s reliance on the public comment period as evidence that candidates had no objections to the selected vendors, arguing that the comment window closed before the final appointments were made. He also challenged the Committee’s assertion that candidates’ IT consultants endorsed the selected service providers, insisting that their role was purely advisory and did not amount to approval of the final decision. Akangbe further expressed concerns over the corporate structure, compliance history, and track record of the appointed firms, including Mikrodigital Connect and Thanelinc Nigeria Limited, contending that unresolved questions remain regarding their suitability for managing a national election involving more than 80,000 lawyers.
Akangbe also revisited the debate over voter authentication, stating that the ECNBA failed to properly communicate its decision on the proposed use of the National Identification Number (NIN) as an additional security layer. While acknowledging practical challenges associated with full NIN integration, he argued that alternative verification measures were not sufficiently explored. The Senior Advocate additionally denied allegations that he leaked correspondence to bloggers and criticised what he described as veiled threats of disciplinary action against candidates who scrutinise the electoral process. Reaffirming his commitment to a free, fair, transparent and credible election, Akangbe called on the Committee to provide greater disclosure of evaluation criteria, vendor qualifications, and procurement decisions in the interest of maintaining confidence in the July 20, 2026 NBA elections.
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LATEEF OMOYEMI AKANGBE, SAN RESPONDS TO ECNBA PRESS STATEMENT
Transparency and accountability remain essential to a credible NBA electoral process.
In the attached response, Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN, Presidential Candidate in the 2026 NBA Election, addresses issues arising from the ECNBA’s recent press statement and raises concerns regarding due process, transparency, and confidence in the administration of the election.
Members are encouraged to read the response and consider the issues raised in the interest of a free, fair, and credible election.