Olumide Akpata, one of the candidates for the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) 2020 presidential election, is in the lead after voting ended on Thursday.
As at 11pm on Thursday when the voting, which was conducted online due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, ended, Akpata polled 9,891 votes ahead of Babatunde Ajibade (SAN) and Dele Adesina (SAN), who scored 4,328 votes and 3,982 votes respectively.
The voting portal, which was opened to eligible voting lawyers from 11pm on Wednesday, showed that there were 29,636 registered voters but only 18,256 persons cast their ballots.
Despite the final results displayed by the electronic voting platform, which allowed for real-time monitoring, the NBA is yet to make a formal announcement on the outcome of the election.
In the midst of the election, one of the contestants, Adesina, called for the cancellation of the exercising, citing gross manipulation.
Adesina alleged that there was over voting and disenfranchisement of some voters.
If Akpata’s victory is confirmed, it would be first time in recent years that a lawyer who is not a member of the inner bar (Senior Advocate of Nigeria) is elected as NBA President.
Akpata was a former chairman of the NBA section on Business Law.
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