Cyberattack Rocks NBA Election As Delayed Voting Finally Gets Underway

Voting has officially commenced in the 2026 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) national elections after a delay triggered by what the Electoral Committee of the NBA (ECNBA) described as a coordinated cyberattack targeting its electronic voting platform.

The election was originally scheduled to begin at 12:00 a.m. on Saturday but was postponed after the online voting system reportedly came under a sustained attack from external actors.

In a statement addressed to candidates, eligible voters, agents and observers, the ECNBA apologised for the disruption, describing the cyberattack as a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the electoral process.

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

“The Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association sincerely apologises to all candidates, eligible voters, agents, consultants and observers for the delay in the commencement of voting for the 2026 NBA National Elections at the scheduled time of 12:00 a.m. WAT,” the statement read.

According to the committee, the electronic voting platform was subjected to a “deliberate, coordinated and sustained cyberattack” allegedly orchestrated by external actors with the aim of disrupting the election and undermining its credibility.

“The attack represents a direct and calculated assault on the ECNBA’s technical infrastructure,” the committee stated.

It disclosed that its information technology and cybersecurity team immediately partnered with the Election Voting Service Provider to contain the attack, activate all available security protocols, neutralise the threat and restore the platform.

“The ECNBA’s IT cybersecurity team, in conjunction with the Election Voting Service Provider, has activated all available security protocols and countermeasures and is engaged in active efforts to repel the attack, neutralise the threat, and restore the integrity and availability of the platform,” the statement added.

The committee assured members that voting would begin as soon as the security and integrity of the platform had been fully restored.

While recovery efforts were ongoing, the ECNBA warned members against using unofficial websites or links claiming to offer alternative voting channels, cautioning that such platforms could be part of the malicious campaign targeting the election.

It stressed that www.ecnbaovs.org.ng remains the only authorised portal for the 2026 NBA national election.

“Members are strongly advised to disregard any other link, platform or communication purporting to offer an alternative voting channel, as such may be instruments of the same malicious campaign currently targeting the election,” the committee warned.

Before voting commenced, the ECNBA informed members that no votes were being accepted while efforts to secure the platform continued, urging eligible voters to await official communication before attempting to access the portal.

The committee also disclosed that all candidates, their agents and election observers remained present at the designated monitoring centre throughout the disruption, adding that the electoral process remained under its direct supervision despite the temporary setback.

“All candidates, agents and observers are present and accounted for at the designated monitoring centre. The electoral process continues under full committee supervision,” it stated.

The ECNBA pledged to keep stakeholders informed through its official communication channels and reaffirmed its commitment to delivering a free, fair, transparent and credible election despite what it described as a criminal attempt to sabotage the process.