Cyberattack Forces Indefinite Delay of NBA Presidential Election

The Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) has postponed the commencement of voting in the 2026 NBA National Elections following a cyberattack that disrupted its electronic voting platform.

Voting, which was scheduled to begin at 12:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 18, failed to commence after the electoral body said its e-voting infrastructure came under what it described as a deliberate and coordinated cyberattack.

In a statement issued early Saturday, the ECNBA apologised to candidates, eligible voters, agents, consultants and observers for the disruption, explaining that the attack was aimed at compromising the integrity of the electoral process.

The committee said the cyberattack targeted its electronic voting platform in an apparent attempt to disrupt and undermine the credibility of the election.

According to the ECNBA, its cybersecurity team, working with the Election Voting Service Provider (EVSP), has activated emergency security protocols to contain the attack, neutralise the threat and restore full functionality of the voting platform.

The committee assured members that voting had not commenced and that no votes had been cast or accepted at the time the disruption occurred.

It said the voting portal would be reopened immediately after the platform is fully secured and certified safe for use.

The ECNBA urged lawyers across the country to await further official communication before attempting to access the voting portal and cautioned members against using any website or link other than the committee’s designated voting platform.

It warned that alternative links or unofficial communications could form part of the malicious campaign targeting the election.

Despite the disruption, the committee said all candidates, their agents and accredited observers remained at the designated monitoring centre, while efforts to restore the system continued under its supervision.

The development has heightened anxiety among members of the legal profession, as the election is expected to produce the next national leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association.

The ECNBA, however, reaffirmed its commitment to conducting a free, fair and credible election, assuring stakeholders that regular updates would be provided through its official communication channels as work progresses to restore the electronic voting platform.

The statement was jointly signed by the Chairman of the ECNBA 2026, Aham Ejelam (SAN), and the committee’s Secretary, Ibrahim Nassarawa.