Abuja � Prominent human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has strongly dismissed allegations that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) received financial support from the Rivers State Government in relation to the now-relocated 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC), describing the claims as �false, deceptive, and politically charged.�
Adeyanju�s reaction comes in response to a widely circulated social media post allegedly made by the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), in which the NBA was accused of hypocrisy and bias for relocating the AGC from Port Harcourt to Enugu. Ibas�s comments stirred controversy, particularly his insinuation that the NBA�s decision was unjustified despite what he claimed was prior financial support from the state.
In a detailed statement released on Sunday, Adeyanju categorically denied that the NBA solicited or received any form of funding from the current Rivers State administration. He described the insinuations as a politically motivated attempt to discredit the NBA�s stance and manipulate public perception. According to him, the decision to relocate the conference was based on firm constitutional principles and an unwavering commitment to democratic values.
�The claims that the NBA received financial inducements from the Rivers State Government are entirely baseless,� Adeyanju stated. �Such narratives are not only misleading, they are dangerous. They seek to erode public trust in a professional association that must remain independent and untainted by political interference.�
He went on to explain that hosting rights for NBA conferences are not a matter of entitlement, but rather a function of merit, planning, and suitability. Factors such as infrastructure, logistics, transportation access, security, and broader socio-political conditions are considered by the NBA�s National Executive Committee in determining suitable venues for the AGC.
�It is constitutionally incoherent and historically inaccurate to suggest that any state has an inherent right to host the NBA Annual General Conference,� he said. �That Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt have frequently hosted the event in the past is due to their demonstrated capacity�not as a result of privilege or promise.�
Addressing allegations that Rivers State�s financial donations were disregarded, Adeyanju clarified that any monetary support previously extended to the NBA was made by the past, democratically elected administration�not the current one, which he described as being �widely perceived as unconstitutional and inconsistent with the rule of law.�
He strongly rejected the notion that financial donations should be a determining factor in the NBA�s decision-making process, warning that such a mindset would reduce the Association to the status of a �mercantile contractor� rather than a professional and independent legal institution.
�To imply that a state government can influence the NBA�s agenda through donations is a dangerous path that undermines both our collective integrity and the public�s confidence in the Association,� he warned. �The NBA is not for sale. It must remain immune to inducement�political or financial.�
