The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is having a divided house over the controversy surrounding the N300 million gift received from the Rivers State government for its 2025 Annual General Conference, as some members are asking the legal body to refund the money to protect the integrity and image of the legal profession.

The controversy stemmed from the exchange of words between the legal body and the Rivers State government after the NBA announced the change of the venue for its annual conference, which had earlier been slated to be held in Port Harcourt, to Enugu due to the declaration of a state of emergency in the state by President Bola Tinubu on 18th March 2025.

According to the NBA, before the declaration of the state of emergency, registration for the conference had soared, reflecting the excitement and eagerness of members to attend, but the development changed the trajectory of participation, as it “stalled the momentum and affected advanced preparations for the conference.”

The lawyers’ association body also stated that the only administrator in charge of the state’s affairs has been acting against the constitution, claiming he has been using a strict approach that ignores constitutional rules, court decisions, and ongoing legal cases.

However, in response to the NBA yesterday, the Rivers State accused the legal body of selective principles because it was quick to criticise the administration of the sole administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd), but has decided to ignore the ₦300 million paid by the Rivers State Government under the administration of the suspended governor of the state.

The state government, in a statement released by Hector Igbikiowubo, Senior Special Adviser on Media to the Rivers State Government, stated that while the NBA is entitled to choose the location of its event, the body was wrong to indict the government for operating in contravention of the constitution.

“While we respect the NBA’s right to choose its conference venues, we find it curious that the association—despite its ‘principled position’—didn’t address the refund of the N300 million already paid by the Rivers State Government for the hosting rights of the 2025 conference. 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, which elicited diverse reactions, prompted another reactive statement from the NBA. Emeka Obegolu, the chair of the planning committee of the Annual General Conference, stated that the N300 million, in contrast to the Rivers state’s claim that it was the hosting fee, was a gift to the event.

According to the NBA, the decision to host the conference was made in August 2024 and was not subject to a bidding process or the payment of any hosting rights; however, the body approached several organisations and agencies, and River State donated the funds for the program as a gift, just like some other states have done in the past.

“Recent NBA conferences have been supported by different state governments, corporate organisations, ministries, departments and agencies whose budgets accommodate corporate social responsibilities and share the same vision with the NBA.

“Such financial support is in the form of gifts, partnerships or sponsorships. The money from Rivers State was a gift and was not tied to any purported hosting right for the NBA AGC”, it said.

However, speaking on national television today, the President of the African Public Interest Lawyers Union, Andrew Emwanta, has indicted the NBA of double standards, asking the body to refund the ₦300 million it received from the Rivers State Government, as it could damage the integrity and image of the legal profession in Nigeria.

Mr Emwanta insisted that even though the money was initially themed as a gesture of support or gift, the recent political development and the decision of the body to relocate the venue of the conference to Enugu have made the fund controversial.

He argued that “There is no proper way to do the wrong thing. The proper thing to do, to save the image of our profession, is for that money to be refunded. It’s Rivers taxpayers’ money. If you are not doing business with them, return their money.

Apart from Emwanta, many legal practitioners have also expressed their opinions on social media, maintaining that the legal body must refund the money back to the state government.

On the other hand, another lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, debunked the claim of Rivers State to have paid for the hosting rights of the NBA annual conference. He insisted that the hosting of the conference is purely based on capacity, not on funding.

“That Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt have frequently hosted the AGC is a matter of capacity, not entitlement. The narrative suggesting Rivers was unjustly stripped of a right is both constitutionally incoherent and historically inaccurate”, he said.