Deji Adeyanju, a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Citizens’ Liberties Committee, 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) as claimed by the Administrator of the State.
His statement comes amid backlash following the NBA’s decision to relocate the 2025 AGC from Port Harcourt to Enugu, with criticisms from Rivers State’s Sole Administrator, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), suggesting that unmet financial commitments influenced the decision.
Adeyanju dismissed the claims on Monday, insisting the NBA’s choice of venue is based solely on infrastructure, logistics, security, and general suitability—not on financial donations or political considerations.
He stated that the N300 million was contributed under a constitutionally elected government and that the NBA would not lend legitimacy to what he described as the current “unconstitutional” governance model in Rivers State.
“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 said.
He emphasized that the NBA remains an independent institution with a duty to uphold national service and legal development, not an entity that auctions its conference to the highest bidder.
“The 2023 AGC in Abuja received no funding from the FCT. The idea that donations can buy hosting rights is harmful to the profession’s integrity,” he added.
According to him, the NBA’s withdrawal from Rivers was necessary to avoid endorsing a governance arrangement widely viewed as unconstitutional by the legal community.
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“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,” Adeyanju concluded.
He further stated that the decision to relocate the AGC will not be reversed despite public pressure or political backlash, reaffirming the NBA’s commitment to the rule of law and democratic principles.
