Momentum is building behind the bid of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, to become the next President of the Nigerian Bar Association, with former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, publicly endorsing her candidacy.
Ezekwesili described the senior lawyer as a principled, competent and visionary leader with the capacity to reposition the legal profession and steer the Bar towards a new era.
The endorsement, announced in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, adds to the growing list of prominent Nigerians backing Badejo-Okusanya ahead of the Nigerian Bar Association presidential election.
The former Minister commended Badejo-Okusanya’s impressive professional record, leadership credentials and enduring commitment to ethical legal practice, arbitration, good governance and the welfare of young lawyers.
“I am delighted to see that the brilliant and amazing Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, is running for NBA President,” Ezekwesili stated.
She noted that the senior advocate’s track record of advocacy in professional ethics, arbitration, governance and improved welfare for younger lawyers aligns closely with the challenges currently facing the legal profession.
“Her engagements frequently focus on professional ethics, arbitration, governance, and improving conditions for young lawyers. These are the ideals the Bar needs at this moment, and she rightly represents them,” she added.
Ezekwesili’s endorsement comes barely one week after the Founder and Senior Pastor of House on the Rock, Paul Adefarasin, also threw his support behind Badejo-Okusanya’s aspiration.
Adefarasin described the legal practitioner as a woman whose life and career have been defined by integrity, professionalism and dedication to national development.
“My family and I have had the privilege of knowing her and her family over many years, and we have consistently seen a life marked by excellence, professionalism, and a deep concern for the advancement of our nation.
“She understands that justice is not merely a legal principle; it is one of the pillars upon which peace, progress, and nation-building rest.
“As the Nigerian Bar Association prepares to elect its next President, I believe it is important to pay attention not only to credentials and accomplishments, but also to character. In Mrs. Badejo-Okusanya, many have seen both,” he said.
Born on January 15, 1967, Badejo-Okusanya is a legal practitioner and scholar with decades of experience spanning public service and private legal practice.
She attended the University of Lagos Staff School for her primary education before proceeding to Federal Government College, Jos, for her secondary education.
She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Lagos in 1987 and later returned to the institution to earn a law degree in 2000.
Badejo-Okusanya was called to the Nigerian Bar on May 14, 2002.
In July 2011, she was appointed General Counsel to the Governor of Lagos State, where she played a significant role in the development of the Lagos State Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (Lagos HOMS) during the administration of former Governor, Babatunde Fashola.
She returned to private legal practice in June 2015 and has remained actively involved in the profession ever since.
Her career reached another milestone in September 2025 when she was elevated to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, one of the highest honours in Nigeria’s legal profession.
If elected, Badejo-Okusanya would become the first woman to lead the Nigerian Bar Association since its establishment, a development that would mark a historic turning point for the country’s legal community.
Her emergence would also extend a family tradition of breaking barriers, as her mother retired as the first female Registrar of the University of Lagos.
