Ezekwesili endorses Badejo-Okusanya's bid for Nigerian Bar Association leadership

Dr Oby Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education, has given her endorsement to Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, for the presidency of the Nigerian Bar Association, citing her as a leader with the necessary vision to reposition the legal profession, who possesses both competence and principle. This endorsement was announced in a statement released in Abuja on Sunday.

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Ezekwesili's backing adds to the growing number of prominent Nigerians who are supporting Badejo-Okusanya's candidacy ahead of the association's presidential election, and she praised the senior lawyer's professional background, leadership qualities, and long-standing commitment to ethical legal practice.

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The former minister expressed her delight at seeing Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, run for NBA President, highlighting the candidate's extensive experience, competence, and courage, and noting that her advocacy for professional ethics, arbitration, governance, and improved welfare for young lawyers aligns with the pressing needs of the legal profession.

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Ezekwesili wrote that Badejo-Okusanya's engagements frequently focus on professional ethics, arbitration, governance, and improving conditions for young lawyers, which are the ideals the Bar needs at this moment, and she rightly represents them.

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The endorsement comes barely a week after Paul Adefarasin, the Founder and Senior Pastor of House on the Rock, also declared his support for Badejo-Okusanya's candidacy, describing her as a woman of proven integrity, professionalism, and commitment to national development.

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Adefarasin stated that he and his family have known Badejo-Okusanya and her family for many years, and have consistently seen a life marked by excellence, professionalism, and a deep concern for the advancement of the nation, and that she understands justice as a pillar upon which peace, progress, and nation-building rest.

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He emphasized the importance of paying attention not only to credentials and accomplishments but also to character in the election of the next NBA President, and believes that Badejo-Okusanya possesses both.

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Badejo-Okusanya was born on January 15, 1967, and is a legal practitioner and scholar with decades of experience in public service and private legal practice.

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She attended the University of Lagos Staff School for her primary education and Federal Government College, Jos, for her secondary education, before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Lagos in 1987 and a law degree from the same institution in 2000.

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She was called to the Nigerian Bar on May 14, 2002, and in July 2011, she was appointed General Counsel to the Governor of Lagos State, where she played a key role in developing the Lagos State Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (Lagos HOMS) during the administration of former governor Babatunde Fashola.

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She returned to private legal practice in June 2015 and has remained active in the profession, and in September 2025, she was elevated to the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

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If elected, Badejo-Okusanya would become the first woman to lead the Nigerian Bar Association since its establishment, marking a historic milestone for the legal profession.

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Her emergence would also continue a family legacy of breaking barriers, as her mother retired as the first female Registrar of the University of Lagos.