Lawyers Urge NBA Leaders to Resign Over N300M Rivers Scandal
The legal community in Nigeria has been rocked as a coalition of prominent lawyers, under the Public Interest Lawyers League (PILL), has called for the resignation of Afam Osigwe, President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and Emeka Obegolu, Chairman of the NBA Annual General Conference Planning Committee.
This follows widespread outrage over the N300 million allegedly received from the Rivers State Government for hosting the 2025 NBA Annual Conference—funds that were not disclosed until recently.
Scandal Sparks Demand for Transparency and Accountability
PILL President Abdul Mahmud, speaking at a press conference in Abuja, said the association’s decision to withhold disclosure of the funds betrays the NBA’s foundational principles of justice, ethics, and transparency.
“The NBA cannot pretend to be a guardian of public morality while engaging in conduct so thoroughly devoid of it,” Mahmud declared.
Despite the NBA’s claim that the money was a “gift” from the Rivers State Government—then led by the now-suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara—critics insist the association should refund the money immediately to salvage its public image.
NBA’s Failure to Disclose the Transaction
What further enraged stakeholders was the fact that the N300 million payment was not voluntarily disclosed by the NBA. Instead, the information surfaced through a public revelation by the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, prompting questions about institutional integrity and possible cover-up.
“The scandal is not just about money—it’s about principle,” PILL emphasized.
Mahmud described the NBA’s silence as evidence of internal decay and called it a betrayal of the legal profession’s ethical foundation.
Key Demands From Public Interest Lawyers League
In response to the crisis, PILL issued several strong recommendations:
- Immediate resignation of Afam Osigwe and Emeka Obegolu
- Full publication of audited accounts for all public or private funds related to the 2025 Annual General Conference
- Return of the N300 million to the Rivers State Government as a gesture of remorse
- Emergency General Meeting of the NBA Council to evaluate the crisis
- Formation of an independent panel of past NBA presidents and senior lawyers to recommend long-term governance reforms
The group has warned that it is prepared to mobilize legal and civil actions if the NBA fails to uphold accountability.
Conclusion: A Test of the NBA’s Credibility
The NBA Leaders to Resign Over N300M Rivers Scandal controversy could have long-lasting implications for the credibility of Nigeria’s most powerful legal body. As lawyers and civil society demand action, the NBA faces an inflection point—one that will determine whether it remains a bastion of justice or succumbs to internal rot.
PILL has made it clear: “The rule of law must begin within the very association that claims to protect it.”
