The Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (ECNBA) has postponed the commencement of voting in the 2026 NBA National Elections indefinitely after a coordinated cyberattack disrupted its electronic voting platform hours before the exercise was scheduled to begin.
The election was expected to commence at exactly 12:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 18, 2026. However, eligible lawyers across the country were unable to cast their votes after the committee announced that the digital infrastructure powering the election had come under attack.
In a statement released in the early hours of Saturday, the ECNBA apologised to candidates, accredited voters, agents, consultants and election observers for the unexpected disruption.
The committee disclosed that the electronic voting system had been subjected to what it described as a “deliberate, coordinated and sustained cyberattack” designed to compromise the integrity of the electoral process.
According to the ECNBA, the attackers targeted the election platform in what appeared to be a calculated effort to sabotage the conduct of the 2026 NBA national election.
The committee described the incident as a direct assault on its technological infrastructure and a threat to the credibility of the association’s electoral process.
Following the attack, the ECNBA said its cybersecurity experts immediately activated emergency response measures in collaboration with the Election Voting Service Provider (EVSP).
It explained that security protocols were promptly deployed to contain the attack, identify vulnerabilities and restore the integrity of the voting system before polling could begin.
“The system is expected to be fully restored and voting will commence immediately upon restoration,” the committee stated.
The ECNBA clarified that voting had not commenced at the time of the announcement and that no ballot had been cast or recorded through the electronic voting system.
It assured members that the voting portal would only be reopened after cybersecurity experts certify that the platform is fully secured and capable of conducting a credible election.
The committee urged members of the legal profession to remain calm and refrain from attempting to access the voting portal until an official announcement is made regarding the resumption of the exercise.
It also cautioned lawyers against responding to messages or attempting to vote through any platform other than the officially designated election portal.
According to the committee, the only approved voting platform remains www.ecnbaovs.org.ng, warning that any alternative links or unofficial communications could form part of the ongoing malicious cyber campaign targeting the election.
Despite the disruption, the ECNBA stated that all candidates, their agents and accredited observers remained present at the designated election monitoring centre, where the process continues to be supervised.
The committee maintained that transparency remained its priority and assured stakeholders that every step was being taken to protect the credibility of the election.
The cyberattack has generated anxiety among members of the Nigerian Bar Association, as the election is expected to determine the association’s next national leadership.
Many lawyers had anticipated the commencement of online voting after weeks of campaigns by candidates seeking various national offices within the association.
The ECNBA reiterated its commitment to conducting a free, fair and transparent election despite the unforeseen setback.
It pledged to continue updating members through its verified communication channels as efforts to secure and restore the voting platform progress.
The statement announcing the postponement was jointly signed by the Chairman of the ECNBA 2026, Aham Ejelam, SAN, and the committee’s Secretary, Ibrahim Nassarawa.
No new date or time has yet been announced for the commencement of voting.
