The Rivers State Government has declared that the N300 million it paid to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) was not a “gift” but a formal fee for the hosting rights of the 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC. It has also threatened legal action following the NBA’s decision to relocate the event from Port Harcourt to Enugu.
The Sole Administrator of the state, Ibok-Ete Ibas, in a statement on Tuesday, rejected the NBA’s public explanation describing the payment as a donation from the previous administration.
Ibas maintained that the sum was paid strictly in exchange for the right to host the legal community’s flagship conference and should be refunded following the NBA’s unilateral relocation of the event.
“The claim that Rivers State’s financial commitment was a gift is inaccurate and misleading,” Ibas said. “The state government entered into a mutual agreement with the NBA for Port Harcourt to host the AGC. The NBA’s sudden reversal without any formal resolution process is unacceptable and a breach of that understanding.”
Tensions between the NBA and the Rivers Government escalated earlier this month after the NBA, citing a collapse of constitutional governance in the state, announced that it had moved its 2025 AGC to Enugu.
The decision followed the removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration by presidential proclamation and the imposition of a sole administrator, which drew national criticism.
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The NBA, in its explanation, insisted the decision was in defence of constitutional order and that the N300 million paid was a “voluntary donation” by the Fubara-led administration. It added that no binding agreement was signed tying the money to hosting rights.
However, the Ibas-led interim government has vowed to challenge that position legally.
“The people of Rivers deserve accountability. That money belongs to them,” Ibas said. “If the NBA cannot honour its commitment, we will pursue all available legal means to ensure the recovery of the funds.”
This development is the latest in the fallout from the political crisis that engulfed Rivers State earlier in the year, leading to the removal of elected officials and the controversial appointment of a sole administrator.
The dispute with the NBA now adds a legal twist to the state’s ongoing battle over legitimacy and governance.