Rivers Government Seeks N300m Refund from NBA Over Conference Relocation

The Rivers State Government is demanding a N300 million refund from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) after the association relocated its 2025 Annual General Conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu.

The government expressed disappointment over the decision, describing the reasons given by the NBA as “misleading, uncharitable, and unbecoming”.

NBA in an earlier statement cited concerns over the political climate in Rivers State, suggesting that the current administration was undermining democracy and the rule of law.

In response, Rivers State Government defended the Sole Administrator’s leadership, emphasizing commitment to restoring democratic institutions, upholding fundamental rights, and respecting court rulings.

In a statement issued on Monday by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Administrator of the State, Hector Igbikiowubo, the Rivers State government acknowledged the NBA’s right to choose its preferred venue but faulted the association’s suggestion that the current administration, headed by a Sole Administrator, was undermining democracy and the rule of law.

“The NBA’s statement overlooks the constitutional basis for the current administration in Rivers State. The declaration of a state of emergency was a necessary response to a breakdown of public order and democratic processes,” the statement read.

“The Sole Administrator’s mandate is clear: to oversee a transitional period that ensures the return of full democratic governance in line with the Constitution. To suggest that this intervention flouts the rule of law is not only incorrect but ignores the Supreme Court’s rulings that have validated key decisions made during this period,” the statement said.

The government also cited the Supreme Court judgment in Suit No. SC/CV/1176/2024—Rivers State House of Assembly & Others vs. Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) & Nine Others—which declared any local government election conducted in violation of the Electoral Act as “unconstitutional, null, and void.”

While defending the Sole Administrator’s leadership, the government emphasized his commitment to restoring democratic institutions, upholding fundamental rights, and respecting court rulings.

“It is regrettable that the NBA, as a body of legal minds, would reduce a complex constitutional matter to political sensationalism,” the statement added.

The government also raised concerns over what it described as the NBA’s “selective principled stand,” particularly questioning the fate of the N300 million already paid by the state government 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 said.

Calling for constructive engagement, the state government urged the NBA and other stakeholders to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing democratic transition rather than, as the statement put it, “amplifying divisive narratives.”

“The Sole Administrator remains focused on his mandate to stabilize the state and facilitate a smooth return to full constitutional governance. We urge the NBA and other well-meaning Nigerians to support this process in the interest of peace and progress,” the Rivers Government said.

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