Some Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) have dismissed calls for the resignation of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, and the Chairman of the 2025 Annual General Conference Planning Committee, Emeka Obegolu, SAN, over the N300 million sponsorship received from the Rivers State Government.
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Describing the critics as “politically sponsored” and “faceless,” the SANs insisted that the NBA leadership committed no wrongdoing, and that due process was followed in accepting the funds. They emphasized that the protest against the NBA was orchestrated by interests seeking to undermine the association’s credibility.
Abdul Mohammed, SAN, told newsmen that the protests were “absolutely uncalled for,” adding that “no credible lawyer would associate with such antics.” He noted that the NBA President currently enjoys even stronger support among members than when he was first elected.
Similarly, Olusegun Fabunmi, SAN, clarified that the NBA Executive Committee was not responsible for sourcing the funds, stressing that it was the AGC Planning Committee that sought sponsorship. “The Rivers State Government agreed to sponsor the 2025 AGC, with the funds specifically tied to souvenirs. This is a standard practice and has nothing to do with hosting rights,” he said, dismissing demands for resignation as unjust and misplaced.
In his remarks, Sunusi Musa, SAN, simply described the calls for resignation as “baseless.”
The controversy arose after the NBA decided to move its 2025 Annual General Conference from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Enugu State following the declaration of an emergency rule in Rivers. The Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.), subsequently demanded that the NBA return the N300 million already paid by the state for conference hosting rights.
In defense, the NBA explained that the money was a legitimate sponsorship contribution and not tied to the choice of conference venue. Nevertheless, a group known as the Public Interest Lawyers League, led by Abdul Mahmud, demanded the immediate resignation of Osigwe and Obegolu, describing it as necessary for the restoration of credibility in the NBA.
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