Andrew Emwanta, President of the African Public Interest Lawyers Union, has urged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to refund ₦300 million received from the Rivers State Government for its 2025 Annual General Conference, arguing it would preserve the legal profession’s integrity. In a Tuesday interview, Emwanta criticized the NBA’s decision to relocate the conference from Port Harcourt to Enugu amid Rivers’ political crisis, calling the funds—labeled a “gesture of support”—controversial. “There’s no right way to do wrong,” he said. “Refund Rivers taxpayers’ money if you’re not hosting there.”

Emwanta questioned the NBA’s swift condemnation of the emergency rule declaration in Rivers, which removed Governor Siminalayi Fubara, suggesting bias toward Fubara’s faction. He also flagged the choice of Enugu as the new venue, noting the NBA President’s Anambra origin, raising concerns of ethnic bias. “Why not Abuja? This risks the profession’s moral standing,” he added.

NBA 2025 Conference Planning Committee Chairman Emeka Obegolu (SAN) countered that the ₦300 million was an unconditional gift, not payment for hosting rights, and the August 2024 decision to pick Port Harcourt predated the contribution. He clarified that such donations don’t mandate hosting in the donor’s city, as the committee often seeks support for the event’s scale.

Enugu State, set to host, promised a “memorable” experience at its new International Conference Centre, per State Tourism Board Chairperson Rita Mbah. Meanwhile, Rivers’ new administration, led by retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, criticized the NBA’s relocation as “misleading” and “uncharitable,” defending the emergency rule as a response to public order breakdown, according to spokesperson Hector Igbikiowubo. The dispute over the funds fuels ongoing political tensions in Rivers following President Bola Tinubu’s March 2025 emergency declaration.