The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has said that retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, the sole administrator of Rivers State, has no right to request a refund of a N300 million gift from suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara for the association’s conference in Port Harcourt.
The NBA cancelled its 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC) in Rivers State due to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s suspension of Governor Sim Fubara and appointment of a sole administrator, which the association deemed unconstitutional.
According to a report released on Friday following the NBA’s National Executive Council Meeting in Ilorin, the suspended governor’s donation was not intended to secure hosting rights for the later shifted Annual General Conference.
The NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, defended their decision to relocate from Port Harcourt to Enugu for the AGC, citing the appointment of an ‘illegal’ Sole Administrator in Rivers State. The report also clarified that the requested refund amount was a gift from the suspended governor.
According to the report, “The National Executive Committee’s consultation revealed that the majority of lawyers/colleagues strongly desired that the NBA relocate the Conference from Rivers State to another venue.
“The majority opinion was that the Conference should not be held in a state governed by a Sole Administrator. “Because the NBA does not recognise the unconstitutional suspension of a democratically elected government and the appointment of a Sole Administrator, the NBA cannot properly request venue and other logistical support from the Administrator,” the report stated.
“The decision to hold the 2025 Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt is deemed unjustifiable due to ongoing protests and demands by lawyers. We cannot demand a refund of N300 million paid by the Rivers State Government for “Conference Hosting Rights for the 2025, Annual General Conference” due to our presence in the city and potential collaboration. This also lends credence to the unconstitutional proclamation of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the appointment of a Sole Administrator to oversee the matter.
“We note that the NBA has taken a principled and legally sound position that appointing an Administrator for Rivers State is unconstitutional. Given this, we cannot in good conscience hold this year’s conference in Rivers State. As a result, we announced that the conference has been relocated to Enugu, a coal city,” the report stated.
The Conference Planning Committee Chairman, Emeka Obegolu, SAN, clarified in a public statement that the N300 million donation made by the constitutionally recognised government of Rivers State for the NBA 2025 Annual General Conference was given as an unconditional gift, unrelated to any hosting rights or contractual obligations.
“We reject bullying and political interference, and we remain committed to upholding democratic norms and the integrity of the legal profession.
“The suggestion that the NBA refund the donation lacks both factual and legal justification. In February 2025, the Rivers State Government under Governor Similayi Fubara provided N300 million in sponsorship support to the NBA in response to our request for financia,l assistance.
“As a result, the funds were allocated to support the AGC rather than to acquire hosting rights. It was not for any alleged “hosting rights”!
“During my inauguration as NBA President on August 29, 2024, I announced that Rivers State would host the Conference. Rivers State did not lobby for or bid on this decision, which was ratified by the NEC on November 8, 2024.