•Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya[SAN]

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mrs. Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has emerged as the 33rd President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) after defeating two other senior lawyers in the keenly contested presidential election.

Chief Oghenero Okoro won 11,024 votes (44.85%) to emerged as the First Vice-President

Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), Aham Ejelam, SAN, announced the presidential result at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja, on Sunday.

Badejo-Okusanya polled 12,317 votes, representing 47.18 percent of the total votes cast, to defeat her closest challenger, Lateef Akangbe, SAN, who secured 7,934 votes, representing 30.39 percent. Olumuyiwa Akinboro, SAN, came third with 5,855 votes, representing 22.43 percent.

With the victory, Badejo-Okusanya will serve as the association’s president for a two-year tenure from 2026 to 2028.

She also becomes only the second woman to lead the NBA after Priscilla Kuye, who served as president from 1991 to 1992.

Results published on the ECNBA portal and confirmed by Ejelam showed that 26,184 of the association’s 82,172 registered voters participated in the election, representing a voter turnout of 31.86 percent.

The election is over. We are one Bar

Badejo-Okusanya, in a statement issued on Sunday after emerging winner of the NBA national election, thanked members for the confidence reposed in her leadership.

She described the mandate as both a privilege and a call to service, noting that her election reflected the desire of lawyers for a more responsive, inclusive and effective professional body.

According to her, the victory was not a personal achievement but a reflection of the collective aspiration of NBA members for a stronger association.

Badejo-Okusanya said that her engagements with lawyers across the country during the election campaign provided valuable insights into their concerns, expectations and aspirations, which she promised would guide her leadership.

“I listened to your hopes, your concerns, your aspirations, and your ideas. Those conversations shaped this campaign, and they will continue to guide my leadership,” she said.

The NBA president-elect urged members to move beyond the election contest and unite towards advancing the legal profession and strengthening the association.

“The election is over. We are one Bar, united by a common commitment to the advancement of our profession and the defence of justice and the rule of law,” she stated.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has celebrated the graduation of his son, Ariwera Jonathan, from Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom.

Jonathan shared the news on his official Facebook page on Thursday, where he expressed pride in his son’s accomplishment and extended his best wishes for the future.

He wrote: “Congratulations to our son, Ariwera, on your graduation from Manchester Metropolitan University. Your mother and I are proud of your hard work. Wishing you the very best and a successful future ahead.”

The announcement was accompanied by photographs from the graduation ceremony showing Jonathan, his wife, Patience Jonathan, and their son.

The former president and his wife have two children, Ariwera Jonathan and Aruabi Jonathan.

The Lagos State Government has approved a harmonised academic calendar for all public and private primary and secondary schools across the state for the 2026/2027 academic session, aligning both categories of schools under a single schedule.

The announcement was made by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, in a statement published on the official X account of the Lagos State Government on Thursday.

The approved calendar shows that the 2026/2027 academic session will commence on Monday, September 14, 2026, after a two-day Staff Professional Development (SPD) programme scheduled for September 10 and 11, 2026.

The first term will run until December 18, 2026, followed by a vacation from December 21, 2026, to January 8, 2027. The second term will begin on January 11, 2027, and end on April 16, 2027, while the third term will run from May 3 to July 30, 2027, with the long vacation commencing on August 2, 2027.

The move formalises a unified academic timetable for both public and private schools, replacing the previous practice where schools could operate on different calendars.

It is expected to improve coordination and consistency across the state’s basic and secondary education system while providing parents, teachers, and students with a predictable academic schedule.

The calendar allocates 64 school days for the first term, 61 school days for the second term and 57 school days for the third term, bringing the total number of instructional days for the 2026/2027 academic session to 182 days.