A member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Citizens’ Liberties Committee, Deji Adeyanju, has provided clarity regarding the ₦300 million received from the Rivers State Government, stating that it was not a hosting rights fee for the NBA’s Annual General Conference (AGC) scheduled for 2025.
News360 Info reports that Adeyanju’s statement comes in response to widespread backlash following the NBA’s decision to relocate the 2025 AGC from Port Harcourt to Enugu.
Rivers State’s Sole Administrator, Rear Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd), had suggested that unmet financial commitments influenced the relocation.
In his response, Adeyanju refuted claims that the funds were related to the hosting of the NBA’s AGC, emphasizing that the venue decision was based on factors like infrastructure, logistics, and security, not financial donations or political motives.
He stated, “The ₦300 million was contributed under a constitutionally elected government, and the NBA will not lend legitimacy to what I believe is an unconstitutional governance model in Rivers State.”
Adeyanju also addressed the criticism regarding hosting rights, explaining that the concept, as suggested by Ibas, had no basis in NBA tradition.
He further clarified that the NBA does not have a bidding or contractual process for awarding the hosting rights of its AGC.
“There is no system in place that grants any state the right to host the AGC through financial donations or commitments,” Adeyanju noted, adding that the NBA, as an independent institution, has no intention of auctioning its conference to the highest bidder.
He provided the example of the 2023 AGC held in Abuja, which did not receive funding from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), reaffirming that the idea of hosting rights being bought undermines the integrity of the profession.
The NBA representative stressed that the decision to relocate the AGC was a necessary move to avoid endorsing the governance structure in Rivers State, which many in the legal community consider unconstitutional.
He stated, “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.”
Despite the criticisms and political backlash from Rivers State, Adeyanju made it clear that the NBA’s decision to relocate the AGC would not be reversed.
He reaffirmed the NBA’s commitment to upholding democratic principles, national service, and legal development in Nigeria.
