NBA Denies Receiving N300m Hosting Fee From Rivers Govt
A member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Citizens’ Liberties Committee, Deji Adeyanju, has denied claims that the NBA received N300million from the Rivers State Government as a hosting rights fee for its 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC).
Adeyanju made the clarification on Monday while reacting to the backlash that followed the NBA’s decision to move the AGC from Port Harcourt to Enugu.
The Rivers State Sole Administrator, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd), had alleged that financial issues contributed to the relocation of the event.
But Adeyanju said the decision was based on factors like infrastructure, logistics, security, and suitability of the venue—not financial inducement or political interference.
He acknowledged that the said N300million was donated by a constitutionally elected Rivers government but added that the NBA would not legitimise what he described as the current “unconstitutional” governance structure in the state.
“There is no tradition of hosting rights in the NBA. No state has any contractual entitlement to host the AGC,” Adeyanju said.
He stressed that the NBA is an independent body committed to national service and legal development—not one that auctions its conference to the highest bidder.
“The 2023 AGC in Abuja was not funded by the FCT. Suggesting that donations guarantee hosting rights undermines the profession’s integrity,” he added.
According to him, pulling out of Rivers was necessary to avoid endorsing an unconstitutional political setup.
“This is not a rejection of Rivers people or their lawyers—they remain our colleagues. But we must take a stand as defenders of the Constitution,” Adeyanju concluded.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
