Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mohammed Dele Belgore, SAN, has endorsed Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN, for the office of President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), describing him as the candidate capable of providing fresh leadership and driving meaningful reforms within the Association.
In a statement announcing his endorsement, Belgore said the NBA is at a pivotal moment and must decide between maintaining the status quo or embracing a new direction anchored on innovation, inclusiveness, and institutional renewal.
He described Akangbe as a leader whose campaign has resonated with lawyers seeking a more responsive and forward-looking Bar, adding that his message has particularly inspired younger practitioners who desire an Association that is more inclusive, accessible, and relevant to the realities of modern legal practice.
According to Belgore, the forthcoming NBA presidential election extends beyond the choice of an individual to occupy the office of President, arguing that it presents members with an opportunity to determine the future direction of the Association and the values that should guide its leadership.
He further stated that the legal profession requires leadership that is prepared to embrace fresh ideas, challenge established conventions where necessary, and strengthen the NBA’s role as an independent and effective voice for lawyers and the rule of law.
Belgore concluded by expressing his wholehearted support for Akangbe’s candidacy, urging members of the Bar to back what he described as a new era of purposeful leadership for the Nigerian Bar Association.
Read full statement below;
The Nigerian Bar Association stands at a crossroads. We can continue with the familiar cycle of establishment politics and incremental change, or we can choose a new direction.
Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN represents that new direction.
Yemi is not the establishment candidate. Yemi is the candidate of ideas, courage, and renewal. He speaks to the frustrations of many lawyers who believe our Bar has drifted too far from the values it was created to uphold, and he inspires a generation of young lawyers who want an Association that is more inclusive, more responsive, and more relevant.
This election is about more than who occupies the office of President. It is about what kind of Bar we want to build, one that is bold enough to challenge convention, independent enough to speak truth to power, and visionary enough to prepare the profession for the future.
If you believe the NBA needs fresh leadership rather than familiar faces, fresh ideas rather than old formulas, and courage rather than complacency, then the choice is clear.
I wholeheartedly endorse Lateef Omoyemi Akangbe, SAN for President of the Nigerian Bar Association. The time for a different kind of leadership is now.
Mohammed Dele Belgore, SAN