A candidate for the office of General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chidi Ezenwafor, has raised fresh concerns over the conduct of the ongoing 2026 NBA National Elections, alleging multiple irregularities ranging from pre-recorded votes and technical failures to inadequate election monitoring arrangements.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Ezenwafor said the developments surrounding the electronic voting process had raised serious questions about the credibility and transparency of the election.
The election, originally scheduled to commence at 12:01 a.m., was delayed for several hours following a cyberattack on the ECNBA’s voting platform before eventually commencing at approximately 7:35 a.m.
According to Ezenwafor, reports received from supporters indicated that immediately after voting commenced, some candidates already had votes reflected against their names, placing them in an early lead before members had meaningful access to the voting platform.
He described the development as one that deserved a “transparent and satisfactory explanation.”
The General Secretary candidate also questioned the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA)’s decision to request candidates to submit the details of their Information Technology consultants only hours before the election.
According to him, the ECNBA sent the request at about 5:58 p.m. on the eve of the election, giving candidates until 9:00 p.m. to provide details of their technical consultants for election monitoring.
Ezenwafor argued that the limited notice afforded candidates barely three hours to identify and engage technical experts, significantly restricting their ability to independently monitor the electronic voting process.
He further disclosed that by 8:00 p.m., only about 23,000 votes had been cast out of more than 82,000 eligible voters, representing roughly 28 per cent voter turnout after nearly twelve hours of voting.
According to him, the low turnout reflected the numerous technical challenges experienced throughout the exercise, including repeated platform failures, prolonged downtime and difficulties experienced by members in receiving the One-Time Passwords (OTPs) required to authenticate their votes.
He also alleged that many members who attempted to seek assistance through the designated election help lines were unable to obtain support.
One of the more serious concerns raised by the candidate relates to reports from members who claimed that although they successfully voted after the platform became operational, the voting receipts allegedly reflected timestamps between 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.—several hours before the ECNBA’s announced commencement of voting at about 7:35 a.m.
He described the discrepancy as unusual and one requiring a clear explanation in the interest of transparency and public confidence.
Ezenwafor also questioned reports that vote totals for certain candidates allegedly continued to increase during periods when the voting portal was reportedly inaccessible due to technical failures.
According to him, the development had fuelled concerns among some members that votes may have been uploaded before voting officially commenced.
While stopping short of making definitive allegations, he maintained that the reported anomalies were sufficiently serious to warrant an immediate and independent explanation from both the ECNBA and the Election Voting Service Provider.
Despite the concerns, the candidate urged his supporters and members of the Association to remain peaceful and continue participating in the election by making genuine efforts to cast their votes.
He disclosed that his campaign was documenting all reported incidents and complaints arising from the election and would review the developments after the conclusion of the exercise in accordance with the NBA Constitution, the Electoral Guidelines and other applicable legal processes.
Ezenwafor reaffirmed his commitment to electoral integrity, due process and the rule of law, while expressing hope that the ECNBA would address the concerns raised in a transparent manner to preserve public confidence in the electoral process.
The ECNBA has consistently maintained that the election platform remains secure following the earlier cyberattack and has assured members that the integrity of the electoral process has not been compromised.
As of the time of filing this report, the Electoral Committee had not issued any specific response to the allegations raised by Ezenwafor regarding the reported timestamps, vote tallies or other issues highlighted in his statement.