NBA Rejects Rivers State’s N300m Refund Demand, Calls Payment “Gift”, Not Hosting Rights

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has firmly rebutted claims by Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), that the state paid ₦300 million to secure hosting rights for the 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC), which was recently relocated from Port Harcourt to Enugu.

NBA Clarifies N300m as Unconditional Gift

In a statement issued on Monday, the NBA’s Conference Planning Committee, chaired by Mr. Emeka Obegolu, SAN, categorically dismissed Ibas’ assertion that the ₦300 million provided by Rivers State was payment for hosting rights.

The legal body clarified that the funds were a “gift” and not tied to any contractual obligation to hold the 2025 AGC in Port Harcourt.

The NBA emphasized that its tradition of seeking financial support for the AGC involves approaching state governments, corporate organizations, and agencies for unconditional contributions. “Such financial support are in the form of gifts, partnerships, or sponsorships,” the statement read, noting that recent conferences have benefited from similar arrangements with various entities.

The association stressed that the decision to host the 2025 AGC in Port Harcourt, made in August 2024, was not subject to a bidding process or tied to any payment, refuting claims of a hosting rights agreement.

The NBA’s response aims to quell what it described as an “unnecessary controversy,” reaffirming its commitment to delivering a “world-class conference” for its members without engaging in further disputes over the matter.

Rivers State Demands Refund, Cites Misrepresentation

The Rivers State Government, under Ibas’ leadership, has expressed strong disapproval of the NBA’s decision to relocate the 2025 AGC to Enugu, demanding a refund of the ₦300 million it claims was paid for hosting rights.

In a statement by Hector Igbikiowubo, Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Administrator, the government labeled the NBA’s reasons for the relocation as “misleading, uncharitable, and unbecoming.”

The state government argued that the NBA’s suggestion that the current administration undermines democracy and the rule of law ignores the constitutional basis for Ibas’ appointment.

According to the statement, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State due to a “collapse of democratic institutions,” necessitating the appointment of a Sole Administrator to oversee a transitional period. The government cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in Suit No. SC/CV/1176/2024 Rivers State House of Assembly & Others vs. Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) & Nine Others, which declared local government elections conducted in violation of the Electoral Act as “unconstitutional, null, and void,” to support its position.

Rivers State further accused the NBA of “selective principled stand” and questioned the integrity of retaining the ₦300 million while publicly discrediting the state. “If the NBA truly stands on principle, it should demonstrate the same integrity by promptly returning these funds,” the statement asserted.

The NBA’s decision to move the 2025 AGC to Enugu was formalized during its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on March 27, 2025. The association cited “a series of undemocratic developments” in Rivers State as the primary reason for the relocation. Specifically, the NBA criticized Ibas’ appointment as Sole Administrator, calling it “illegal” and accusing him of “flouting the rule of law with impunity.”

The legal body argued that hosting the conference in Rivers State would be tantamount to endorsing “constitutional violations and subversion of the rule of law.” By shifting the venue to Enugu, the NBA seeks to uphold its commitment to democratic principles and legal integrity, a stance it says aligns with its role as the umbrella body for legal practitioners in Nigeria.

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