The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has formally invited the European Union (EU), the United States Embassy, the British High Commission, Yiaga Africa, the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), and other reputable international and domestic election observation missions to monitor its forthcoming 2026 National Officers’ Elections, reaffirming the Association’s commitment to transparency, credibility, and democratic governance.
In separate letters signed by the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, the Association requested the presence of the various observer missions at the elections scheduled for Saturday, 18 July 2026, noting that their participation would further strengthen confidence in the integrity and credibility of the electoral process.
According to the NBA President, the Association remains Africa’s largest professional body of lawyers, with thousands of members in Nigeria and across the diaspora. Since its establishment, the NBA has remained a foremost defender of constitutional democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and institutional independence. He emphasized that the Association’s internal elections have consistently been conducted in a manner that reflects transparency, accountability, inclusiveness, and integrity.
The 2026 National Elections will be conducted electronically, with accredited observers expected to monitor proceedings from the Central Election Control Room at the NBA National Secretariat, Abuja. The Control Room will coordinate election management, technical operations, results collation, and observer accreditation, while providing accredited observers with full access to monitor the process, interact with officials of the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA), and observe the declaration of results.
The NBA noted that the presence of respected international and domestic observers would enhance public and member confidence in the credibility of the elections, reinforce democratic norms within professional institutions, and provide independent assessments that would contribute to strengthening future electoral reforms.
The invitations come against the backdrop of recent attempts by external interests to interfere with the Association’s electoral process. The NBA disclosed that there had been concerted efforts to procure directives aimed at postponing the elections and imposing conditions not contemplated by the NBA Constitution. The Association described such developments as unprecedented attempts at external interference in the affairs of an independent professional body and reiterated its resolve to preserve its institutional autonomy and conduct the elections strictly in accordance with its Constitution and the ECNBA Guidelines.
Beyond the European Union and the United States Embassy, invitations were also extended to the British High Commission, Yiaga Africa, the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), and other diplomatic missions, election observation bodies, and civil society organisations with established records in election observation, democratic governance, and the promotion of the rule of law. The broad range of invitations underscores the NBA’s determination to ensure that its 2026 National Elections are conducted in a transparent, credible, free, and fair manner, consistent with international best practices.
The NBA expressed confidence that the participation of these observer missions would further demonstrate the Association’s unwavering commitment to free, fair, transparent, and credible elections while reinforcing the principle that the legal profession must continue to lead by example in promoting democratic values, the rule of law, and institutional independence.
