A member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Citizens’ Liberties Committee, Deji Adeyanju, has clarified that the N300 million received from the Rivers State Government was not a hosting rights fee for the NBA’s Annual General Conference (AGC).
His statement followed mounting criticism over the NBA’s recent decision to move the 2025 AGC from Port Harcourt to Enugu. The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), had accused the NBA of breaching financial commitments tied to the conference location.
Addressing the controversy on Monday, Adeyanju dismissed the claims, asserting that the NBA’s selection of conference venues is strictly based on logistics, security, infrastructure, and overall suitability—not financial contributions or political pressure.
“The concept of hosting rights, as suggested by the Sole Administrator, has no basis in NBA tradition. There is no bidding or contractual process that grants any state the right to host the AGC,” Adeyanju explained.
He noted that the N300 million was donated under the constitutionally elected administration of Rivers State, stressing that the NBA would not recognize what he described as the current “unconstitutional” governance model in the state.
Adeyanju emphasized the independence of the NBA, insisting that the association would never trade the AGC for monetary gain. He pointed out that the 2023 AGC in Abuja received no funding from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), illustrating the NBA’s position.
“The idea that donations can buy hosting rights is harmful to the profession’s integrity,” he added.
He further stressed that the relocation decision was necessary to avoid legitimizing a political arrangement widely condemned by the legal community. However, he made it clear that the NBA’s stance was not a rejection of the people of Rivers State or its legal practitioners.
“This is not a rejection of the people of Rivers or their lawyers—they remain our colleagues. But as defenders of the Constitution, we must stand firm against unconstitutional governance,” he said.
Adeyanju concluded by affirming that the decision to move the AGC to Enugu will not be reversed, regardless of external pressure. He reaffirmed the NBA’s commitment to upholding the rule of law and democratic principles.
