 to return the sum of ₦300 million it paid as part of the hosting agreement for the 2025 Annual General Conference, following the NBA’s decision to shift the event from Port Harcourt to Enugu.){kind=link}
The Rivers State Government has asked the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to return the sum of ₦300 million it paid as part of the hosting agreement for the 2025 Annual General Conference, following the NBA’s decision to shift the event from Port Harcourt to Enugu.
The demand was conveyed in a statement on Monday by the state’s Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), through his media aide, Hector Igbikiowubo.
The government described the NBA’s justification for relocating the event as both inaccurate and unfair.
While recognizing the NBA’s discretion in choosing its conference location, the state expressed concern over the silence regarding the refund of the previously paid amount.
According to the statement, if the NBA is indeed guided by ethical standards, it should act with transparency by returning the funds it received from the Rivers State Government.
The NBA had announced on April 10, 2025, that the conference would now take place in Enugu, citing concerns over the political climate in Rivers State.
The association pointed to decisions made under the Sole Administrator’s leadership as undermining democratic values.
Reacting to this, the state government maintained that the declaration of a state of emergency and the appointment of a Sole Administrator were constitutional actions taken to restore order.
It emphasized that President Bola Tinubu acted within the law in initiating the transitional governance arrangement.
Vice Admiral Ibas explained that his role was to oversee a temporary phase of leadership aimed at reinstating democratic structures in the state.
He also referenced a Supreme Court ruling—Suit No. SC/CV/1176/2024—as judicial backing for key reforms, including the cancellation of certain local government elections deemed to have violated the Electoral Act.
The statement criticized the NBA for injecting politics into what it described as a constitutional issue, and called for dialogue and cooperation rather than inflammatory narratives.
“Rivers State is undergoing a difficult but important phase in its democratic evolution,” the statement concluded. “We appeal to the NBA and other stakeholders to stand in solidarity with this process to ensure stability and progress.”