NBA Election Hit By Cyberattack, Voting Delayed Hours After Scheduled Start

The 2026 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) National Elections suffered an early setback on Saturday after the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) announced a delay in the commencement of voting following a cyberattack on its electronic voting platform.

The committee said the voting process, which was scheduled to begin at 12:00 a.m West African Time, was postponed after the election portal came under what it described as a “deliberate, coordinated and sustained cyberattack” allegedly carried out by external actors.

In a statement issued early Saturday, the ECNBA apologised to eligible voters and said the disruption was being addressed through emergency cybersecurity measures.

According to the committee, its cybersecurity team, working alongside the Election Voting Service Provider (EVSP), immediately activated response protocols to contain the attack, secure the platform and restore normal operations.

The ECNBA said voting had not commenced before the disruption and assured members that no votes were recorded or accepted while the platform was unavailable.

“The system is expected to be fully restored, and voting will commence immediately upon restoration,” the committee said.

Following the recovery efforts, the electoral body announced that voting would now begin at 7:35 a.m on Saturday.

The committee urged eligible voters to rely only on official communication channels and avoid accessing unofficial links claiming to provide alternative voting platforms.

It specifically directed members to use only the authorised election portal, www.ecnbaovs.org.ng, warning that other platforms or links could be part of attempts to interfere with the electoral process.

The ECNBA also confirmed that candidates, their agents and accredited observers were present at the designated monitoring centre and that the election remained under the supervision of the committee.

The electoral body said despite the disruption, it remained committed to delivering a free, fair, transparent and credible election, describing the cyberattack as criminal interference aimed at undermining the democratic process of Nigeria’s legal profession.

The statement was signed by the ECNBA Chairman, Aham Ejelam, and the Secretary, Ibrahim Aliyu Nassarawa.

The NBA election is expected to determine the next national officers of the association, with several senior lawyers contesting key leadership positions, including the presidency of the umbrella body for Nigerian lawyers.