From Ann Godwin (Port Harcourt), Yetunde Ayobami Ojo (Lagos) and Matthew Ogune (Abuja)
• Funds for support, not hosting right, NBA clarifies
• Says relocation of conference to avoid legitimising illegal govt
Rivers State Government, led by the Sole Administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has demanded the refund of N300 million hosting rights it released to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for its 2025 conference before the association suddenly relocated the conference venue to Enugu.
The NBA, in a statement, condemned the emergency rule in Rivers State and the actions of the Sole Administrator, stating that he operates with impunity, disregarding constitutional provisions, court decisions, and pending litigation.
The association also argued that the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State is a clear violation of the 1999 Constitution, specifically, Sections 11 and 188, which pertain to the suspension of elected officials and democratic institutions.
The NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, explained that they are compelled to relocate the 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC) to a state where constitutional democracy remains intact.
Suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara was said to have released the N300 million hosting rights to NBA for its planned conference in the state before the political crisis escalated with the declaration of the State of Emergency and suspension of the governor, his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, as well as the state Assembly members.
Reacting yesterday, the Sole Administrator, through his Special Adviser on Media, Hector Igbikiowubo, said that while the state respects the NBA’s right to choose its conference venues, it finds it curious that the association, despite its “principled position,” didn’t address the refund of the N300 million already paid by the state government for the hosting rights of the 2025 conference.
The statement noted that if the NBA truly stands on principle, it should demonstrate the same integrity by promptly returning the funds rather than benefiting from a state it now publicly discredits. The statement also condemned, particularly, the insinuation that the Sole Administrator’s actions have undermined democracy and the rule of law.
Accordingly, the state government described the NBA’s claim as misleading, uncharitable, and unbecoming of an association that prides itself on upholding justice and fairness.
The state government said that the NBA’s statement overlooked the constitutional basis for the current administration in Rivers State, adding that the declaration of a state of emergency was a necessary response to a breakdown of public order and democratic processes.
MEANWHILE, the Chairman of the 2025 AGC planning committee, Emeka Obegolu, has clarified that the support requests for the conference from the government and agencies were not tied to hosting rights or any rights whatsoever.
Again, the human rights lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, has berated Ibas for accusing the NBA of hypocrisy over its decision to relocate the 2025 AGC from Port Harcourt to Enugu.
Adeyanju informed the administrator that the NBA, in line with its duty to uphold the rule of law and democratic governance, made the morally and constitutionally right decision to withdraw from an engagement that could be interpreted as legitimising autocracy.
He also noted that the N300 million contribution referenced by the Sole Administrator was made under a democratically elected administration, maintaining that the NBA’s engagement was with a government legitimately elected by the people.
