Port Harcourt-based entrepreneur and owner of Portland Hotel and Resort, Azubuike Ihemeje, has revealed he will be refunding over N24 million to lawyers who had booked accommodations for the 2025 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference.
This comes after the NBA officially moved the conference from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Enugu, citing “unconstitutional governance” in the state as the reason for the decision.
In a statement jointly signed by NBA President Afam Osigwe, General Secretary Mobolaji Ojibara, and AGC Planning Committee Chairman Emeka Obegolu, the association said it could not hold its flagship event in an environment where democratic norms were being undermined.
The NBA specifically condemned the appointment of a Sole Administrator in Rivers State, labeling the move as a blatant violation of the rule of law and a threat to constitutional governance.
“Though clad in civilian attire, he governs as though the state is under military rule,” the statement said, adding that the decision to relocate was made after consultations with local NBA branch chairmen and during an emergency National Executive Council meeting held on March 27.
The legal body emphasized that holding the conference in Port Harcourt would amount to an endorsement of undemocratic practices.
Instead, the 2025 AGC will now be held in Enugu, a city the NBA describes as well-equipped to host an event of such magnitude.
Reacting to the development, Ihemeje shared his frustration on Facebook:
“Nigerian Bar Association has canceled its 2025 annual conference originally scheduled for Port Harcourt. The new venue is billed to hold in Enugu.
Me: I must now refund over 24 million naira to lawyers who had already paid for reservations.”
