A coalition of prominent legal professionals under the banner of the Public Interest Lawyers League (PILL) has demanded the resignation of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Afam Osigwe and the Chairman of the Annual General Conference Organising Committee, Emeka Obegolu, following the controversy surrounding a ₦300 million payment from the Rivers State Government.
The money, reportedly paid by the now-suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, was meant to support the NBA’s 2025 Annual General Conference. Though the event has since been relocated to Enugu, the NBA maintains the funds were a donation.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, PILL President Abdul Mahmud urged the NBA leadership to return the funds, stating the association cannot claim moral authority while engaging in opaque financial practices.
The NBA cannot be a watchdog of public morality while engaging in conduct so thoroughly devoid of the very standards it demands of others,” Mahmud said.
He described the NBA’s refusal to refund the money as “disgraceful” and reflective of a deeper institutional problem, accusing the current leadership of treating the association like a “personal fiefdom.
PILL has called for:
- The immediate resignation of Osigwe and Obegolu
- The return of the ₦300 million to the Rivers State Government
- The publication of a full, audited report of all funds received for the 2025 conference
- An emergency General Meeting to address the fallout from the scandal
- The creation of an independent panel of former NBA Presidents and senior lawyers to recommend reforms for financial transparency
Mahmud criticized the NBA’s failure to voluntarily disclose the transaction, which only came to light through a public statement by the Rivers State Sole Administrator.
“This scandal is not just about money,” Mahmud said. “It is about principle, integrity, and the soul of the Nigerian Bar Association.”
PILL warned that it would not remain silent and vowed to mobilize, advocate, and litigate if necessary, to ensure accountability starts within the legal profession itself.
wahala everywhere