How Olumide Akpata defeated pre-election favourites to emerge 30th NBA President

LAGOS, Nigeria – A relatively unknown lawyer in the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Olumide Akpata on Thursday emerged winner of the most publicized NBA election.

Olumide Akpata, a former chairman of the minute business section of the NBA(NBA-SBI), won, beating Mr. Dele Adesina, and Dr. Babatunde Ajibade, who were pre-election favourites.

Olumide Akpata secured 9, 891 votes in a strictly electronic voting system to emerge as the 30th President of the NBA. Not many gave him any chance during the election, but free and fair e-voting system made it possible.

Ajibade polled 4,328 votes, while Adesina with all his endorsements by legal luminaries and association secured just 3,982 votes.

The 2020 Elections into national offices of the NBA opened at 11.00p.m on Wednesday (July 29) with a total of 29,635 accredited voters, and ended at 11.00p.m on Thursday (July 30)

A total of 18,256 ballot  was cast, with results announced by Chairman of the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA) Mr Tawo Tawo.

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Other elected officers for the various offices include Mr John Aikpokpo-Martins as NBA First Vice President with a total of 6,010 votes.

Mr Adeyemo Kazeem emerged NBA Second Vice President with 8,794 votes, Mrs Joyce Oduah was elected NBA General Secretary with 8, 979 votes, while

Mrs Uchenna Nwadialo polled 7,314 votes to emerge NBA’s Assistant General Secretary.

Mrs Mercy Agada was elected NBA Treasurer unopposed, Mr Nnamdi Anagor emerged the financial secretary unopposed while Mr Olukunle Edun was elected NBA Welfare Secretary with 9,001 votes.

Dr Rapulu Nduka emerged the NBA Publicity Secretary with 11,964 votes while Mr Naza Afam polled 6,490 votes to emerge NBA Assistant Publicity Secretary.

Akpata expressed appreciation to NBA members for electing him the President, and promised that NBA would record transformation during his administration.

Similarly, Oduah and Edun (General Secretary and Welfare Secretary) thanked God and their supporters for the election, and pledged to live up to their campaign promises

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Akpata is a graduate of Law from the University of Benin and a Senior Partner at Templars, a leading commercial law firm.