Human rights activist and legal practitioner Hamza Nuhu Dantani, Esq, has said the Nigerian Bar Association’s (NBA) decision to move its 2025 Annual General Conference (AGC) from Port Harcourt in Rivers State to a state with an elected government is to uphold the rule of law and reject unconstitutional governance.
Dantani, a member of the NBA National Litigation Committee representing the Northern Zone, made this known in a letter dated April 15, 2025, and addressed to the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.).
He criticised the role of the sole administrator, insisting it lacks legitimacy under the Nigerian constitution, and urged the official to resign in the interest of justice and democratic governance.
He wrote, “Let there be no misunderstanding: the actions of the NBA do not condemn the good people of Rivers State. On the contrary, the NBA’s stance is a show of unequivocal support for the citizens of Rivers State, whose people deserve to be led by their democratically elected officials.
“It is not the people or the state that the NBA has discredited; the unconstitutional method has resulted in your appointment.
“A sole administrator—a position with no constitutional basis—is a thinly veiled attempt to bypass the will of the people of Rivers and undermine democratic governance. The NBA will not shut its eyes to the same, as democracy ultimately dies when good people refuse to speak up.”
“It must be stressed that the NBA’s decision to relocate its Annual General (AGC) from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to a State with a democratically elected government was not a denunciation of Rivers State per se but a principled stand against condoning unconstitutional practices,” Dantani wrote.
Addressing the issue of a donation allegedly made by the previous administration for the conference, Dantani clarified the NBA’s position.
“Such voluntary contributions are sought from governmental agencies whose budgets allocate funds for corporate social responsibility and whose visions align with the NBA’s,” he said.
“Therefore, any claim that seeks to demand a refund of that donation is both legally and ethically misplaced. Only the democratically elected government that donated could, if it so chooses, call for its refund, not someone occupying an unconstitutional role.”
He reminded the public that Rivers State had successfully hosted the AGC under constitutionally recognised governments in the past, adding that this was not a case of bias against the state.
“It is pertinent to mention that the NBA has previously hosted the AGC in Rivers state under a democratically-elected government,” he wrote.
“So, the difference this time around is that the NBA will not be bullied to participate in the lie that a sole administrator, a position unknown to the Constitution, is legitimate.”
Dantani reiterated the NBA’s guiding principle as the reason behind its decision.
“The motto of the NBA is ‘promoting the rule of law,’ and hosting the AGC in a state where the rule of law has been subverted is anathema to that motto,” he said.
He urged the Sole Administrator to reconsider his position and step aside to allow for a return to democratic order in Rivers State.
“There is still time for you to do the right thing,” he wrote.
“Resign from your unconstitutional role in Rivers State immediately and allow for the rightful, democratically elected government to be reinstated. Only by doing so can you begin to repair the damage to the political and legal order of the state you now rule over.”
