Prominent lawyer ‘Kemi Pinheiro (SAN) has challenged the newly elected President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya (SAN), to make organisational unity her immediate priority as she takes the helm of Africa’s largest legal body.
  
Mrs Badejo-Okusanya, affectionately called “Mrs B” by colleagues, made history by becoming the first female president directly elected by the association’s membership.
  
In a powerful congratulatory statement, Pinheiro praised the President-elect’s proven excellence, inclusiveness, and boldness.
  
However, he quickly paired his praise with a candid assessment of the steep challenges awaiting her, explicitly warning that the prestigious association is currently fractured.
  
“The Bar is currently polarised along several lines; generational, ideological, and sometimes personal,” Pinheiro stated.
  
“Healing these divisions and building a truly cohesive, inclusive, and purpose-driven Bar must be at the heart of your agenda.”
  
Pinheiro emphasised that internal unity is more than just an organisational goal, it is a national necessity.
  
He argued that a fractured NBA cannot effectively fulfill its public duty, noting that a unified Bar is vital to protect the rule of law, advance the welfare of lawyers, and serve as a strong voice for justice and good governance across Nigeria.
  
Badejo-Okusanya’s election marks a major institutional milestone. While Dame Priscilla Kuye served as NBA president in 1991, she did so by stepping up from the vice presidency following a resignation.
  
Badejo-Okusanya’s victory is the first time the general electorate of the Bar has voted a woman into the top seat.
  
Pledging his full backing to the incoming administration, Pinheiro concluded by offering his complete support to help realise a bolder, more united, and more effective NBA.