Lawyer and human rights activist Deji Adeyanju has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to study and learn from the electronic voting process used in the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) national elections, describing the exercise as seamless despite an earlier cyberattack that delayed voting.
“I hope INEC is monitoring the NBA election and learning from it,” Adeyanju said, after casting his vote in the elections.
He commended the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA) for what he described as a smooth process.
He said, “I have just voted in the ongoing NBA elections, and I must commend the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA) for a seamless process. Registration, verification and voting took me less than 2 minutes.”
Adeyanju’s comments came after voting resumed following a temporary halt, which the NBA attributed to a hacking attempt on the e-voting platform.
In a notice issued before voting commenced, the ECNBA apologised to candidates, voters, agents, and observers for the delay in the start of the 2026 NBA National Elections at the scheduled time.
The committee said its e-voting platform had been subjected to “a deliberate, coordinated, and sustained cyberattack by external actors,” which it described as “a direct and calculated assault on the ECNBA’s technical infrastructure,” aimed at disrupting the credibility of the election.
It said its cybersecurity team, working with the Election Voting Service Provider (EVSP), had activated security protocols to repel the attack and restore the platform, with voting expected to resume immediately once the system was secured.
The ECNBA clarified that voting had not commenced during the disruption and urged members to await official confirmation before attempting to access the portal. It warned members to rely only on its official voting portal.
It cautioned against any alternative links or platforms that could form part of the same “malicious campaign” targeting the election.
The committee added that all candidates, agents and observers remained present at the designated monitoring centre, with the process continuing under full committee supervision.
“The Committee reaffirms its unwavering commitment to delivering a free, fair, transparent, and credible election, notwithstanding this criminal interference,” the notice, signed by ECNBA Chairman Aham Ejelam, SAN, and Secretary Ibrahim Aliyu Nassarawa, Esq., read.
Following the resumption of voting, Adeyanju said the process demonstrated that secure electronic elections are achievable in Nigeria.
“The ECNBA has demonstrated that secure electronic voting is possible, using each lawyer’s unique Supreme Court number and OTP verification.
“INEC should closely observe this process and take lessons from it. Electronic voting can work efficiently and securely in Nigeria. The NBA election shows that electronic voting is achievable with the right systems,” he said.
He further expressed hope that INEC’s leadership had personally taken part in the exercise.
“And I hope the INEC Chairman, a professor of law and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria has voted in the ongoing NBA election,” Adeyanju added.
(The Whistler)
