Rivers State’s business landscape is facing a staggering financial blow following the Nigerian Bar Association’s (NBA) decision to relocate its 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC) from Port Harcourt to Enugu.
The switch, prompted by the political instability rocking the state, is estimated to cost the economy a jaw-dropping N2.6 billion.
The NBA cited the “absence of democratic governance” and the imposition of a state of emergency as reasons for the move.
Initially, Port Harcourt had been selected to host the six-day conference, which was expected to draw over 16,000 lawyers from across the country, an event that would have been a major economic boost for the state.
Now, hotel owners, transporters, restaurant operators, market traders, and nightlife businesses are left licking their wounds. According to analysts, hotel bookings alone could have fetched N1.4 billion. Food vendors stood to rake in N576 million, nightlife activities were projected at N300 million, transportation at N62 million, and market vendors were looking at about N200 million. And that’s excluding the multiplier effect on other service providers.
This economic setback follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s March 18, 2025, declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, which led to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Prof. Ngozi Odu, and all State Assembly members. Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ekwe Ibas was appointed as the state’s sole administrator.
The NBA didn’t mince words, condemning the appointment of a sole administrator to run the state—a move it said undermines the rule of law and tramples on democratic institutions. In an emergency meeting, the NBA’s National Executive Council maintained that the president’s actions violated Sections 305, 11, and 188 of the 1999 Constitution and that hosting the AGC in Port Harcourt under such conditions would amount to endorsing constitutional violations.
“Port Harcourt is no longer a justifiable venue for the 2025 AGC,” the NBA said in a statement. “To hold our flagship event there would be a tacit approval of unconstitutional governance and a breach of our core values.”
The association instead chose Enugu, a city it believes still operates within the bounds of constitutional democracy, as the new host for the conference, assuring its members of a successful and impactful event.
However, the NBA’s decision has triggered sharp criticism from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, a key political player in Rivers State.
Wike accused the NBA of hypocrisy and claimed their opposition to the emergency declaration was financially motivated, noting that Rivers State had earlier pledged to fund the conference.
Speaking during a visit from the Body of Benchers, Wike said: “What kind of hypocrisy is this?” He called on the Body of Benchers to rein in the NBA, accusing some of its members of hasty and public condemnation of court judgments they barely understand.
