Rivers Government Demands N300m Refund from NBA Over Conference Relocation

The Rivers State Government has formally requested the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to refund the N300 million allegedly paid for the hosting rights of the association’s 2025 Annual General Conference, following the NBA’s decision to relocate the event from Port Harcourt to Enugu.

In a statement issued on Monday, the government, led by sole administrator Ibok-Ete Ibas, criticised the NBA’s justification for moving the event. The NBA had cited “constitutional violations” in Rivers State as the basis for its decision, referring to the ongoing emergency rule and what it described as a “command-style” administration that disregards legal and constitutional norms.

The relocation came in the wake of President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers due to a prolonged political crisis. The president had suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and all members of the state House of Assembly for six months, appointing retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as sole administrator.

Responding to the NBA’s statement, the Rivers government argued that the current administration is constitutionally grounded, describing the emergency rule as a “necessary response to a breakdown of public order and democratic processes.” The statement, signed by Hector Igbikiowubo, senior special assistant on media, added that the sole administrator remains committed to restoring democratic institutions and upholding the rights of all citizens, including freedom of speech, movement, and association.

The government also challenged the NBA’s ethical stance, questioning why the association had not addressed the N300 million already paid by the state for hosting rights. “If the NBA truly stands on principle, it should demonstrate the same integrity by promptly returning these funds rather than benefiting from a state it now publicly discredits,” the statement read.