The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has stated that the ₦300 million it received from the Rivers State Government was a voluntary gift and not a payment for hosting the 2025 Annual General Conference.
This clarification comes in response to claims by the Rivers State Administrator that the state paid for the rights to host the conference.
“The ₦300 million was a gift,” said Emeka Obegolu, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Chairman of the 2025 NBA Conference Planning Committee.
“The decision to hold the conference in Port Harcourt was taken as far back as August 2024. There was no bidding process, and no payment was required or made for hosting rights.”
He emphasized that the NBA does not monetise hosting rights, and that any support received from organisations, agencies, or state governments is purely voluntary and unconditional.
“There is no representation by the NBA that a city must host the conference simply because it supported us financially,” Obegolu added.
Meanwhile, following the NBA’s decision to move the conference from Rivers State to Enugu, the Enugu State Government has expressed readiness to host the event.
Chairperson of the Enugu State Tourism Board, Rita Mbah, assured reporters that the state was committed to providing “a memorable and seamless experience” for the legal community, adding that the newly commissioned Enugu International Conference Centre would serve as the venue.
The NBA relocated the conference from Port Harcourt in protest against President Bola Tinubu’s controversial replacement of Governor Siminalayi Fubara with retired naval chief Ibok-ete Ibas on March 18, 2025.
This decision has intensified the political tension in Rivers State, with ongoing calls for Fubara’s reinstatement.
“We do not tie our conference locations to political bargains or financial contributions,” Obegolu concluded.